What do you do with your plastic bags?

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
You know—the ones you get from the grocery store.

We use them as garbage bags, in the kitchen as well as the bathrooms.

We use them to clean out the animal cages.

We put wet dishcloths in them, occasionally wet bathing suits.

But I still have way too many.

The city doesn’t recycle them.

The store I usually go to doesn’t recycle them.

What do you do with yours?

Recycle?

Throw away?

Store huge amounts in your garage?

Anything creative?
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
We line bathroom and bedroom trash cans, if they're big enough. Our bedroom can is too large for anything but clothing store bags usually. We use them to scoop kitty litter into. If we take the dog for a walk, bags go with us. I use them as lunch bags - Jabber's job won't let him use anything that isn't completely clear. We separate them into bags with holes and bags without holes. The ones with holes go to recycle via the grocery store or Wal-Mart. Our city recycling won't take them.

I once read a thing about making a sleeping mat for the homeless with them, some kind of crocheting them together. I don't know if homeless people would really use them or who you'd give them to. I also heard of using them to make rugs, like rag-rugs only you can hose them off. Couldn't really figure that out.

Turning Plastic Bags Into Sleep Mats For Homeless - The Savvy Age
 

ksm

Well-Known Member
We have a couple of places we can recycle them. Also, a thrift shop will take them to sack up purchases. I have a friend in OKC that is in a group that Makes the sleeping mats for the homeless.

We use them for bathroom trash can liners. Keep a couple in the car for ckeaning up car trash. In the kitchen when I peel potatoes, or have food scraps to throw in compost pile.

The oddest thing we used them for... Protective shoe covers...last year I had a terrible digestive problem....I passed out on bathroom floor and uhmmm...lost control of bodily functions. Older Difficult Child helped clean up, after protecting her shoes from the wet hot mess...

too much information? Lol!

Ksm
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
wet hot mess...
too much information? Lol!

Maybe, but also rather impressive that your Difficult Child helped clean up! I'm pretty sure that if that had been me, even if I'd ended up in bed for a week or in the hospital, the dry cold mess would have been there when I got out! (Jabber would have cleaned it up, of course, but not my son!)
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
I had never heard of making sleeping mats out of them.

How interesting.

I wonder if they are portable?

Wow, KSM, you difficult child did a heroic thing! Sounds like she has a big heart.
 

ksm

Well-Known Member
Very proud od older Difficult Child that day. Her CNA training kicked in!

The crocheted bags make a thick mat, about the size of a sleeping bag. It helps form a water barrier on the ground.

Ksm
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I'm a staunch re-user of all plastic bags, sandwich baggies, Ziploc bags, etc, that I use. Bags are washed by hand, then hung on the outdoor clothesline to dry.

When my kids were little, I used to use plastic bread bags as diaper bags when away from the home. Dirty diapers were slipped into the bag and carried until we were back home again, at which time I could dump the bag of wet and dirty diapers into the diaper pail.

Also use plastic bags when dumping off used clothing and household things when donating to the likes of thrift and second-hand stores.

Use plastic bags for general household storage, too.

Kitchen Catcher Plastic Garbage Bags doubled as emergency rubber pants a few times when my kids were babies and in diapers!
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Apple. I also remember using plastic bags all the time when taking my kids to the pool. Wet swimsuits were always lugged back home again in plastic bags.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Hi OH,

Glad to “see” you here again!

I used to wash and reuse the zippered plastic baggies, but I haven’t in a long time.

I haven’t bought plastic baggies in ages. My adult, college-going step-son has been living with us for a year and he used all our quart and gallon sized baggies to store his leftover pizza in, and would throw them away when he finished with it, so I just stopped buying anymore. He is actually using the plastic grocery bags, now, as the sandwich-sized ones are too small for the large pizza slices!
 

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I throw most of them away.
I save about two with each trip.
I find that I tend to need a few now and again ... they come in handy for wrapping up food that has gone bad or carrying various things.
I use to save all or most of them.
Then, I discovered I would have way too much and it would get out of control.
I also save zippered bags somewhat similarly.
If I have used one with dry goods that is very clean, I have a place for that. I always keep a few for use with packing, like to pack shoes or shampoo bottles. But, I'm careful not to have excess.
We recently moved. It was unreal how much "excess" was around.
If I had a very specific need (wet bathing suits/excellent) I would save some more.
So...I've learned that it is prudent and helpful to save these types of things in small/controlled quantities. (boundaries, I guess)
I watch for sales diligently on the bags...every little bit helps.
 
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Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Hi OH,

Glad to “see” you here again!

I used to wash and reuse the zippered plastic baggies, but I haven’t in a long time.

I haven’t bought plastic baggies in ages. My adult, college-going step-son has been living with us for a year and he used all our quart and gallon sized baggies to store his leftover pizza in, and would throw them away when he finished with it, so I just stopped buying anymore. He is actually using the plastic grocery bags, now, as the sandwich-sized ones are too small for the large pizza slices!
Aw, thank you, Apple! So good to see you here, too! :)

Super fun topic!!!
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Seriously, there are literally hundreds of people who have created Pinterest boards dealing with nothing but plastic bag crafts. I stopped counting at 300. If you can't find something to do with your plastic bags on Pinterest, you can't find anything at all.

https://www.pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=plastic bag crafts

I’m not really looking for projects to do with plastic bags. I have more than enough on my plate!

Just thought I would try and start a light-hearted conversation about an obscure topic that very few people care about, to see if there is any interest.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I’m not really looking for projects to do with plastic bags. I have more than enough on my plate!

Just thought I would try and start a light-hearted conversation about an obscure topic that very few people care about, to see if there is any interest.
Love obscure topics! :)

I like to think obscure topics make for some of the best conversations around!

I think it helps to be a little old-fashioned when it comes to obscure topics!
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
I use my own reusable bags to shop so I don't have many plastic ones. I have been known to take plastic bags back to the store to reuse when I shop.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
13 months ago my state made the use of plastic bags illegal by most stores. We have to remember to bring our own bags like the ones that are canvas.

Have I remembered once to bring a bag? No. Not one time. The stores will sell reusable plastic bags for a dime. Sometimes I buy one. Not more.

So. It was an inconvenience to in particular not have the plastic bags for kitty litter and for the smaller waste baskets.

But problem solved. I saw a man at the grocery store use produce bags to carry his groceries. Copied this. Use these and the Costco meat bags now for kitty litter. I use them to line a waste basket near the litter box which I clean a few times a day.

Costco so far has not commented on the multiple meat bags that I appropriate. i have worried i am skirting the environmental spirit of the law. But was told by somebody that the produce and meat bags biodegrade faster. I choose to believe them.

You can I guess partially retrain old dogs.

But not one time have I remembered to bring canvas bags with me to shop. Even if I have them in the car.
 

Littleboylost

Long road but the path ahead holds hope.
Copa I have a collection of reusable bags in my trunk, it is a collection worth of the best of hoarders.

I would shop and forgot the bags, then feel guilty about the environment and buy more reusable bags. Night mare.

Problem solved last Christmas my girlfriend bought me a very nice foldable reusable grocery bag. Is is super light and I keep it in my purse. I always have it handy.

My husband jokeingly says he perks every now and then to see if it too has multiplied to hoard worthy numbers just like my reusable bags.

I have been taking items in the reusable bags to the local thrift store to reduce the number and there is a moratorium on purchasing any more.
 
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