Whenever we go out shopping, we end up with plastic bags (even though they are not especially good for carrying heavy or bulky stuff). Most of them also don’t have a very long life expectancy. Either they rupture on the bottom or their handles rip, or both. But since they’ve become so popular, we have to deal with them. For this reason, I want to offer you a three-step program:
1. Avoid them whenever you can by using long-lasting cotton bags.
2. Reuse the plastic bags you already have for shopping; don’t throw them away.
3. Reuse them in many other ways. Step one and two should be clear: avoid and reuse. For step three, I have a few suggestions.
Plastic bags make great stuffing (not the edible kind, though). Whether you send fragile items by mail or pack moving boxes, balled-up plastic bags are great for making sure your items arrive safely. If you want to keep things clean and dry, plastic bags are your go-to item: use a plastic bag, for example, to protect your bike saddle from getting wet when parked outside in rainy Victoria.
Some plastic bags have a nice design, so if you are the creative type, you can just spice them up and use them as gift bags. Apart from that, you can (re)use them to line your trash cans and avoid buying extra garbage bags. Again, this is not an invitation to collect even more plastic bags; these are only a few ways in which you can re-reuse the ones you already have or the ones you might still get despite your efforts to avoid them.
If you have some good tips of your own, just let us know at businesstech.martlet@gmail.com. Pictures of Eco Tips realizations are definitely welcomed as well!
