Upcycle your plastic bags into all sorts of amazing things

Plastic supermarket bags have an average lifespan of around 12 minutes. That's right, just 720 seconds! That's because most people take them home, empty them, and throw them in the trash or the recycling bin. And did you know that these bags can take anywhere from 400 to 1,000 years to decompose? There obviously has to be a better way.

Well, one thing you can do is reuse them. But using them as garbage bags or a few times for a bag lunch only means that their lives are slightly longer and doesn't really solve the problem. Here are some ideas for "upcycling" your plastic bags into things you can really use for a long time...

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Have you every thought about using plastic bags to crochet? It might sound strange, but it's really easy...

You'll need:

  •  plastic bags
  •  scissors
  •  crochet hooks or knitting needles

 Here's how:

First you have to cut the bags into one long strip of plastic. This will be the "yarn" you use for your crocheting. This video shows how (it's in Spanish, but you only have to watch what she's doing to understand):

Here's a step-by-step description...

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Make as many colors as you want. When you're done, you'll have bundles of plastic "yarn" like these...

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Now you can knit, crochet or weave them into all sorts of useful things! The simplest stitch is the chain, which goes like this...

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You can use this technique to make purses, beach bags, decorative containers, and just about anything you want. Here are some examples for inspiration...

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So the next time you finish unpacking the groceries, take a look at those plastic bags and try to imagination what they could become. The environment will thank you!

Source:

La Bioguía

Comments

Also hefty