7 Ways to Repurpose a Plastic Bag

We all go to the grocery store and are practically drowned by the number of plastic bags that accumulate in the kitchen. Rather than just tossing them out, why not put them to use?! Below are 7 great ways to reuse those numerous bags that seem to accumulate. In the earth-friendly society that we live in, we can easily do our part to recycle and go green just by using plastic bags in simple and crafty ways. Reusing them in ways you might never have thought of will save you money, make your life easier and more edgy.

1. The most obvious way to reuse a plastic bag is to use it as a trash bag. You can place it inside of a trash receptacle, use it to clean up after your dog on your afternoon walk, hold recyclables or throw out messy, stinky leftovers. Reusing bags is an affordable alternative to buying expensive trash bags at the store. They accomplish the same job and at a more friendly cost to your wallet.
2. You never would have guessed but you can use plastic bags as an article of clothing to make a fashion statement. Like the popular duct tape clothing and accessories, ‘plastic bag fashion’ is taking the younger generation my storm. They are fashioned into dresses, frocks, belts, tops and even miniskirts. The younger crowd can let their creative minds free to design wonderful items of clothing at a very small cost. There would be no need for expensive sewing machines either!
3. Make a unique purse or tote out of plastic bags! It is very simple to do, but very time consuming. You shred the bags into long strips and weave them together. You could create a sort of yarn out of the plastic strips, and crochet cute purses or even funky, edgy coasters for the coffee table.
4. A bag is also great for protecting your furniture while doing messy arts and crafts. Just cut it open until it is one large piece and spread it over the furniture. If you spill liquid it will not leak as it would if you were using traditional newspaper.
5. In college towns nationwide as well as in bicycle friendly cities, it is not unusual to find bicycle seats covered by a plastic bag during the winter and spring seasons. Bicycle seats are mostly made up of sponge, and absorb quite a bit of water. When you sit on them, you get a wet and uncomfortable bottom. Dry bicycle seats are desired, and are easily attainable by simply covering them with a bag.
6. For those places that do not get enough snow to require the purchase of snow boots or rain boots, you can protect your feet from the wet weather by tying plastic bags around your shoes. They act as makeshift boots and keep your feet nice and dry.
7. Using plastic bags, you can cover your paperback books while traveling to protect them from rain or wear. It is also ideal for students who like to keep their textbooks in good condition. Throw textbooks into a plastic bag before tossing them into a backpack and you save the book from unsightly bends, tears and abrasion from the rough interior of a backpack.

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Both individuals and companies have thousands of uses for plastic bags, from plastic packaging to shipping to custom printed bags for business and toting purchased goods. Most plastics can take a very long time to break down, so be sure to recycle plastic whenever you can and be imaginative to get full use from your bags.