Now that grocery stores and other vendors are no longer permitting customers to bring in their reusable bags (for hygenic purposes during the corona virus pandemic), single-use plastic bags are on the rise. Some markets, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, continue to offer paper shopping bags. However, this is the exception and not the rule. In spite of the fact that we are living in a world where single use plastic bags should be eliminated for the good of the environment, they are going to be around for a while. Yet with some imagination and online searching, a plethora of creative and practical ideas can be found to put those countless plastic bags to good use. Single use plastic bags can be reused and repurposed in many ways that may not come immediately to mind.
Single use plastic bags can be used for crafting and for many practical purposes as well. For example, plastic bags can be used to make plastic bag yarn, otherwise known as plarn. This YouTube video shows how to make plarn:
Plarn can be used for both crocheting and knitting and there is a vast array of online resources for ideas and patterns as well as how-to YouTube videos. Other creative uses and crafting ideas for single use plastic bags can be found on this do-it-yourself website: https://www.thespruce.com/ways-to-repurpose-plastic-bags-4584967. Jewelry, clothing and household items such as placemats are just a few examples of what can be created.
When in a pinch, plastic bags can be used to make rope, as padding or even to create a sling. This website provides suggestions for how to use plastic bags should an emergency arise: https://urbansurvivalsite.com/survival-uses-for-plastic-grocery-bags/
Practical uses for plastic bags include using them to line kitty litter bins, as packaging material when packing fragile items, or storing a toilet plunger. Ideas such as these can be found here: https://thegardeningcook.com/uses-for-plastic-grocery-store-bags/
Eco-friendly projects with single-use plastic bags abound and there are ample resources out there to render them useful rather than having them end up as landfill fodder or litter. Campaigning to eliminate single-use plastic bags is certainly the direction in which things should be heading. In the meantime, save and collect single use plastic bags. Now is the time to get creative, and maybe even save some money!