Most stores give us the plastic grocery bags when they package up our groceries, at least the stores here in Alabama where I live. Some stores also sell the heavy-duty shopping bags that people can purchase, and those are great once you have bought them. The plastic throwaway bags can also be taken back to the store and they send them off to be made into new plastic bags. I know that both Kroger and Walmart have the big containers where you can recycle the used plastiic bags. I also use mine to make knitted and crocheted items with. There are some good tutorials online on how to cut the bags into loops, join the loops and then roll them into a kind of plastic yarn, called "plarn". You can use this to crochet with, and I also mix it with a strand of regular yarn to add more color to the finished products. I have made throw rugs this way, and they are beautiful, and will last forever. They can go right into the washer annd dryer, and just get softer as they are used longer. Here is a picture of one of my throw rugs made with the recycled plastic grocery bags.
That's a great way to recycle them! Unfortunately here they charge you for those plastic bags, so I wouldn't want to be cutting them up to use in that way. I used to use them for trash bags once I'd been using them to transport my shopping repeatedly until they were too broken to use in that way any more, but now I'll even double line the ones with holes with a second bag to try and get the most out of it because I hate wasting them. I have also used them to line plant pots before to keep the soil in the bag. By the time they're then too torn and filthy to use so they will end up in the bin. I think your use for them is great though! Looks like a superb way to make the most of them!
I have crochet them into reusable grocery bags before! I like being able to reuse them for something that will last a long time. Your rug looks very nice, thanks for sharing the photo!
That is super cool, great design methods. I have never thought of doing anything else with my bags than throwing them away. I used to do so, but now I actually bought Aldi's bags because they are super useful. I enjoy reusing them, and it makes me feel good because I'm doing my part to a certain degree. They are cheap, and worth it. I like the rug by the way.
I know of a company in my country that buys used plastic bags to recycle them into strong and durable plastic poles. They are first melted and then poured into moulds. Artisans also use them to make attractive baskets while the rest are recycled into new plastic bags. This has spawned an industry which has resulted in affordable products in the market. I wonder whether there is a simple way of pressing the plastic bags back to their crisp original form?
Some towns around here have banned the use of plastic bags, which irks me, because I think there's a purpose for pretty much everything, and I love getting the plastic bags, since I reuse them to clean out the kitty litter boxes. If I didn't have a need for them in that manner, I might consider using them for making items such as rugs. I remember you mentioning that before @Happyflowerlady, but wasn't sure how exactly they were used, so I'm glad you went into a little more detail. I always wondered how the bag shape was used for fiber to crochet with, and now I understand what plarn is . And, I agree, your rug is beautiful.
They will probably eventually stop using the plastic bags here, too; but for now, they areplentiful, and I hate wasting things. I have also knitted slippers using the plarn and a strand of yarn. It gives the slipper a lot more durability, and makes the yarn go further. When I have extra bags, I take them back to Kroger or Walmart and put themin their bag recycle bin. @Diane Lane , I used to spend forever with my scissors, cutting around and around those plastic bags and making themintoone long piece of plastic, and then I found the tutorial on Youtube on how to just fold the bag over until it is about an inch or two wide and then start cutting it into strips. You end up with a bunch of loops, which I then link together until I have used all of the loops from that bag. I cut off the bottom end and the top where the handles are, which leaves me just the middle parts of the bag to make into loops. All of the discards go into another bag that has a tear in it (cannot be used for plarn), and I take that to the recycle bin. It is an easy pastime on winter evenings. Chipper, my little Yorkie-poo, likes to lay on my lap on top of the rugs as I am crocheting them, grumbling as I turn the rugs (and Chipper) to work each side.
Well in my home these are just called diaper bags. I am guessing that you can probably guess what we use them for, and you are right. It is not in the home, though, and I take them into work where there are about forty kids who all seem to poop and pee whenever they see fit, so these are always the dirty clothes bags. It is actually amazing at how fast we go trough them too, and I remember bringing a while suitcase in and then later in the month we were already out. I like to use paper bags if at all possible, but at least I know I can reuse the plastic when I get them. Thanks for sharing.
Well, I didn't even see this thread before and I made a similar one. Sorry about that. Your projects are great, @Happyflowerlady. I'm going to have to make some rugs. I didn't think you could put them in the dryer.. how does that work with the plastic? What I really need is a welcome mat, but I'm thinking this would be a good way to make a bath mat as well. One of my girls moved into her own place recently and could really use some rugs. Since she doesn't have a ton of money to spend, this could work. She'd love to have one like the colorful you made above. Hmm. I need to get busy. I need to go by some yarn, so I can get started. Who has yarn on sale?
I wondered about putting the rugs in the dryer at first; but it seems to work fine, @Zyni . When you wash and dry the rugs, they actually just get softer, for some reason. I have some beside my bed, and also in the bathroom for a bath mat. I made little square ones and doubled them over and they are soft and cushiony dog beds for my two little dogs. I think that they would also work as an outside door mat; and if I were going to do that, maybe just using the plastic bags and not the yarn would work well, too. I always have yarn scraps left over from projects, and those are great to use for the throw rugs, especially when it is just one for the dogs, or does notneed to fit a special color scheme. Walmart often puts their big skeins of yarn on sale, and those are great for making socks or other wintertime projects, and then there is leftover yarn for the rugs and slippers.
