We used to throw away excess plastic grocery bags because it is a hassle to store it. When an uncle from the US visited us and saw the messy storage of plastic grocery bags in our cabinet, he taught us how to fold the grocery bag into a small footprint. The idea is to fold it very small, as small as a cigar. Here is a video that we made on how to fold the plastic grocery bag for storing. Check it out -
Good idea, Corie. I store mine that way too, Sheldon. I re-purpose plastic bags as packing material for things I sell on ebay. I just ball them up lightly and stuff them around. Beats expensive bubble rap and is clean. I rarely have one that isn't perfectly clean, and those I trash. If you send packages at Christmastime, you could save yours for that.
I save my plastic bags, too, and repurpose them. I usually do like Sheldon does, and stuff all of them into one bag when we go shopping and then unload grocery bags. I have found that I really enjoy using the bags combined with a strand of knitting yarn to make little throw rugs and doggie mats. I fold the bags into long lengthwise strips, and then use scissors to cut off about an inch at a time, which makes little loops from the bags. Next, I fasten all of the loops together and wind them into a ball, just like a yarn ball. Many crafters use just the plastic bags to make rugs, and even sleeping mats for homeless people; but I like adding the strand of yarn for extra color, and crochet them into a rug or a doggie mat, and even slippers. These rugs go right into the washer and dryer (or can just be laid out to dry), and they last forever. They seem to just get softer and softer as we use them, too.
WOW Yvonne !! Lovin' that rug! It's beautiful. How long did it take you to make the one in the photo? My sister would kill for that rug…her favorite colors…and she's very talented with creative crafts. She has 2 dogs too. Maybe she'll try that process. Nicely done Yvonne…you rock!
Good idea! I just store them like Yvonne & Sheldon does. My Mom just folds them in half, fold it up in triangle shape that's flat. So like your beginning of your video, then when it's fold in half just make a triangle from the bottom to fold up into a triangle then push the handle part into triangle you just made.
That video was made with the help of my husband since he is adept with the camera and the video editing too. We used to store plastic grocery bags in a bag and it's always a mess when we need to reuse because the folding is not that neat. But when we learned this art of folding the plastic bags, you can imagine that one grocery bag can hold a hundred folded bags. It is very convenient to store used plastic grocery bags when they are neatly folded.
In Scotland, there is a small charge for carrier bags. Ireland has had a similar charge for several years now and the usage has dropped dramatically.
When we had our dog, I used them to pick up her poo. Now, when we get a bunch, we recycle them at our grocery store.
Well, it does seem like a clever idea, but it also seems like a whole lot of work. We have a wooden container that sits in our kitchen with a lid on it. We put all our plastic bags in it that can be recycled. We don't save bags that get went or damaged in transport because these can't be used again. I know it's not a good idea to really throw these away because they do contribute to land fills but when it comes to damage ones we have no choice in the matter.
THIS would be a lot of work for a 20 minute ceremony All from recycled plastic bags. But, on the upside, if you spilled wine on your wedding dress at the last minute, you could just run through the sprinklers barefoot and you're good to go!
I use the plastic bags to store empty cat food cans in so that the trash can doesn't smell, but that's about it. In the United States, although they don't store them on top of the counter, you can ask for paper bags in the grocery store. In part because I spent twelve years of my life in a paper bag manufacturing plant, but mostly because I use them for composting, we usually get our groceries in paper sacks, then we use the paper sacks for compostables. Each morning, I bring the paper bag of compostables to the compost pile.
I fold my plastic bags and store them in the tube part of the paper towels. I also store them in coffee cans and give the folded bags in chip tubes as gifts. It is a great idea to have a bag when you need one in your car without making a mess.