Plastic bags are one of the most common household items, but they can also be one of the most wasteful. Since so many people use plastic bags for a variety of reasons, we tend to accumulate quite a collection over time. Instead of throwing them away every time you go shopping or packing your suitcase for vacation, there are plenty of other uses for plastic bags that will keep them from ending up in landfills (and oceans!).
Use them as garbage bags.
If you have a dog, then you know how important it is to pick up after them. If you’re like me, though, sometimes it can be hard to find a place where I can dispose of the waste without having to walk too far away from my house or car. That’s where plastic grocery bags come in!
Use your plastic grocery bag as a garbage bag for picking up after your pet’s messes–it works equally well on their poop as it does on their litter box contents (if they have one).
You can also use them as garbage bags for other things around the house: when cleaning up after children who aren’t old enough yet for toilet training; when throwing away food scraps from meals cooked at home; etcetera ad infinitum ad nauseum…
Make a basket out of it.
- Cut the bag into strips.
- Tie the strips together, using a hot glue gun to seal the base of your basket.
- Use it to store items in your kitchen or bathroom!
Use it to line your bin.
The easiest way to reuse your plastic bags is to put them in the bin. Just make sure that you are using a large enough bag, or your items may not be protected from leaking.
To do this:
- Use a sharpie marker to draw lines on each side of the bag, indicating where it should fold.
- Fold those lines over themselves until they meet at their respective sides of the bag. This creates a sealed “bag within a bag” effect that will keep things dry if liquid somehow gets into your trash can or pail (which can happen!). You can also use tape on both sides if you don’t want any chance of leakage occurring during transport; just make sure all edges are covered up so nothing slips out!
Use them as pet waste bags.
- Use them as pet waste bags. If you have a dog or cat, use the plastic bags to pick up after them. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, tie the bag around their collar so it’s right there when they need it (just make sure they don’t chew through it!).
- Clean up after your pet with a plastic bag: When cleaning up after your pet in public places like parks or sidewalks where there are no trash cans available, use a plastic bag from home instead of using disposable wipes or tissues that may not be biodegradable and could end up polluting our environment even more than if we just left things alone!
- Store dirty diapers until laundry day comes around again: Keeping dirty diapers in sealed containers will help prevent odors from escaping into other parts of your home storage area(s) where non-smelly items are kept–but remember not all plastics decompose quickly enough on their own so make sure whatever container(s) are used here do not contain BPA chemicals either!
Create a diaper pail liner.
- Line the inside of a diaper pail with a plastic bag. This will help keep your child’s dirty diapers contained and make it easier to dispose of them when they’re filled.
- Line the inside of a trash can with a plastic bag, too! You can use this trick for any type of trash can (including those small ones that come with bathroom stalls), just be sure to pull out the contents before throwing away so as not to ruin its contents or spread germs around your home or office space
Make your own shopping bags or reusable grocery bags.
- Make your own shopping bags or reusable grocery bags:
- Use a plastic bag as a shopping bag: If you don’t have any other options, you can use a plastic bag as an improvised shopping bag. This can be useful when you forget to bring one from home or if you have run out of them and need to buy more groceries anyway (like I did!).
- Use a plastic bag as an ice pack: If you don’t want to throw away your empty ice cream carton after taking out all of the ice cream, then simply fill it with water and put it back into its original shape before placing it back in the freezer! Now instead of having just wasted space inside your freezer (and having wasted money on buying more ice cream), this will serve dual purposes by helping keep items cool while also saving space!
Turn them into craft supplies and other household items.
Here are some ideas for reusing plastic bags:
- Make a wreath. Cut the handles off of several bags, then tie them together with string or twine to create a circle. You can use this as an ornament for your front door or inside your home as part of a holiday display.
- Turn them into gift bags. Use old shopping bags as gift wrap when you give gifts to friends and family members who live far away from each other–this will save money on postage costs!
- Create a tablecloth out of old plastic grocery store bags by cutting them into squares about 10 inches (25 cm) wide and sewing or gluing them together end-to-end until you have enough material for the length of your tablecloth (or even two!). Then hem all four sides using either machine stitching or hand stitching if necessary; this will keep everything neat and tidy during meals so nothing gets spilled onto clothing during messy meals like spaghetti dinners with kids! If necessary though feel free not only sew but also glue down any loose threads along edges so nothing unravels unexpectedly later down road…
There are plenty of uses for plastic bags beyond being tossed out in the trash!
There are plenty of uses for plastic bags beyond being tossed out in the trash!
Plastic bags are a resource. They can be reused, recycled and even turned into other products. Here are some ideas for reusing your plastic bags:
- Use them to line trash cans or containers that will be used outdoors (like pet waste stations). This will help keep wet items from getting on the ground when they’re carried out to be emptied.
- Use them as liners under pots when planting seeds indoors in order to catch excess water during watering sessions so that it doesn’t spill onto floors or countertops below where you’re working with seedlings at home.
- Wrap up sandwich ingredients like sliced meat or cheese before placing them into storage containers so they don’t dry out over time–just make sure not too much air gets trapped inside there either!
We hope these ideas have inspired you to start reusing your plastic bags. Remember, there are many ways to use them and they don’t need to be thrown away! With just a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, you can turn even the simplest things into something useful for your home or workspace.
