Simple Ways To Reuse Plastic Bags

Paper or plastic?

Hopefully your answer is “neither.” But if you’ve left your reusable, recycled and repurposed shopping bags at home or in the car and you have a load of groceries to carry home, you usually must choose one or the other. If you choose plastic, keep in mind that a tremendous number of plastic grocery bags end up in landfills and in our waterways. Wildlife often become entangled in or choke on the bags that end up on the roadside. Reusing plastic bags helps alleviate this problem, as well as relieves the pressure on your wallet of purchasing new garbage bags.

Around your home, reuse plastic bags as:

• Litter box liners
• Trash can liners
• Storage for recyclables
• Storage for food waste (before it’s composted)
• In the kitchen, use them to:
• Cover unused food
• Store produce to keep it fresh longer
• Freeze berries and herbs
• Being waterproof, they are also useful for:
• Protecting outdoor items from rain, frost and snow
• Keeping your feet dry as shoe and boot liners

Additionally, they make wonderful storage containers in cars, trucks, boats and travel trailers.

Rinse and reuse plastic trash bags as often as you can. When you have gotten all that you can from them, recycle at your local market in the appropriate bin. Feel good that you are helping both the planet and your own wallet.