Alternative Uses for Plastic Shopping Bags

Plastic shopping bags are always getting put down by the environmentalists, but even plastic enthusiasts rarely have an argument for why more people should be using these highly versatile, environmentally friendly (usually recycled) plastic shopping bags. If you’ve been throwing them away or letting them pile up in the cupboard beneath the sink, here are 31 alternative uses for plastic shopping bags.

1- Use them as bin liners.

2- Ball them up and use them as mattress or pillow lining for your animals.

3- Use them to pick up dog or cat droppings.

4- Use them to line your cat’s litter box.

5- Use them as a lunch bag instead of an expensive lunch box or a paper bag.

6- Stick them over plants before a morning frost.

7- If you have a cast, you can use plastic bags to cover it and keep it dry when you shower or go swimming.

8- If you have a jar that doesn’t seal all the way, cut a little square out of a plastic bag and put it over the mouth of the jar before screwing the lid on.

9- Sew a whole bunch together to make an environmentally friendly, fashionable purse.

10- Use them to store old rags.

11- Use them to hold soiled nappies while you’re out of the house instead of Nappy Sacks.

12- Stick two over your hands to serve as quick disposable gloves when cleaning or dealing with something unpleasant.

13- Store toiletries, hand cream, or anything that could leak in a plastic bag when traveling.

14- Store wet or dirty clothes in a plastic bag when traveling to keep them separate from the clean clothes.

15- Stick dirty or muddy shoes in a plastic bag when traveling.

16- If your car is parked outside, you can put plastic bags over the mirrors and wiper blades to protect them from frost in Winter.

17- For garden work, ties some plastic bags around your knees to keep your pants clean.

18- Use them to store seasonal decorations, such as Christmas wreaths, to keep moisture away.

19- Help your son make a parachute for his action figures out of plastic bags (supervise though!)

20- Use plastic bags as a packing material to cushion fragile objects.

21- Store your wet towels in a plastic bag after a trip to the pool or beach.

22- Keep your shoes dry when walking in the rain by tying plastic bags around them.

23- If you need a quick rope, string a whole bunch of plastic bags together. It’s actually pretty strong.

24- Use them to store items in the freezer.

25- Use a big plastic bag as a makeshift rain coat if you get caught in a downpour.

26- Keep a plastic bag in the car for rubbish.

27- Use a whole bunch as an inexpensive form of insulation in your home (check with your Council first).

28- Stick the used oil filters in a plastic bag after an oil change to keep oil from spreading out over the rest of the rubbish.

29- Plastic bags can be used as a liner for a porta-potty.

30- Feeling creative? Weave your plastic shopping bags into a homemade rug.

31- Keep a few in the car to deal with motion sickness.

How do you re-use your plastic shopping bags?