You hear it all the time, “reduce, re-use, recycle.” It makes sense to do so not only for the sake of the environment but also to avoid wasting precious household resources. If you can re-use an everyday item, why not do so?
Plastic grocery bags are one of the things that we can all re-use. They are very versatile. They work great for small wastebasket liners, which keeps us from having to purchase small trash bags. They also work great as trash bags in vehicles.
There are several other uses for these bags as well. If you don’t already use them in these ways, give some of these ideas a try:
*Never leave children unattended with plastic bags.
1. Use as food storage bags for large items or as another layer over freezer bags.
2. Cut them open and spread them out for use as small drop cloths when working on messy projects.
3. Use plastic grocery bags to pack up items you no longer use, such as clothing you want to give to charity.
4. Cut them up to use as filler when making Easter or other holiday baskets.
5. Get creative with bags and use them for craft projects; they make great stuffing for sock puppets, wreaths made from fabric, etc.
6. Bunch them up (removing areas that contain print) and use them for painting techniques instead of sponges.
7. Set them inside the door as a temporary place to take off wet or muddy shoes
8. Use them for disposing of dirty diapers, and keep a couple in the diaper bag to store wet or soiled clothes until you get home.
You can also use one to store the rest of your collection of grocery sacks, but another great way to store bags is to keep them in an empty pop-up tissue container (this tip recommended by Lisa Pietsch).
*Check back for instructions to make a doormat from plastic grocery bags.