Did you know that one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year? Unfortunately, these bags can’t be recycled so they are considered single-use and end up in the landfill. They are one of the biggest threats to our environment today.
However, although clear plastic bags can’t be recycled, they can be reused. In this way, you can eliminate waste and do your part to help the environmental crisis.
If you have a bag of bags in your house, like many of us do, read on for a list of ways to use and reuse your bags!
1. Trash Can Liners
You might think that using a clear plastic bag as a trash can liner doesn’t help eliminate waste because the bag still ends up in the landfill. But, by using plastic bags as trash can liners, you won’t have to purchase more trashcan liners.
This can help lower your plastic footprint while still preventing plastic bags from accumulating in your house.
2. Packing for Travel
Have you ever packed your shoes in with your clothes, only to unpack and find loose dirt and footprints on your nice new dress? You can eliminate this problem by packing your shoes in plastic bags.
Likewise, you can bring extra plastic bags while you travel to store dirty or wet clothes so you can keep them separate from your clean clothes.
3. Use Them for Your Small Business
If you have a business on the side, you can use these bags to help pack fragile goods. Use standard plastic bags in place of packing peanuts, and use sleeker clear bags to hold your products.
To help pay it forward, you can also include a small printout about reusing a clear plastic bag so your customers keep the cycle going!
4. Doggy Duty
If you have a pet, keep a bag of plastic bags by the door and grab a few before going out on your walk. You can use them to clean up after your pet!
If you hate this job, you can even use two bags at once to make sure no accidents happen.
5. Pad Your Bags and Shoes
If you have a few purses and pairs of shoes that you don’t use year-round, stuff them with plastic bags when you’re not using them. This will help them to keep their shape so they don’t get wrinkled or deflate in the closet.
You can also wrap them in plastic bags to prevent dust from settling on the leather.
Single-use clear plastic bags are one of the worst things for our environment today, but you can do your part to change how we think about plastic. If you get into the habit of using a clear plastic bag twice or even three times, you’ve helped save more plastic from ending up in the landfill. Over time, this will add up and you’ll be making a big difference.
If you enjoyed this article about clear plastic bag uses, we have more sustainability tips on our blog. Check it out for more!
