Instructions for Recycled Plastic Bag Totes

Billions of plastic bags are wasted each year in the United States.

According to the city of Alexandria's Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative, over 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States each year. Twelve million barrels of oil are used in plastic bag manufacturing. If not properly recycled, plastic bags will break down into tiny pieces, which are toxic to the environment and cause animals looking for food to choke and die. Plastic bags can be recycled and reused to minimize waste. A fun family activity is to reuse plastic bags to make a woven tote. Then, use the tote for groceries instead of taking more plastic bags.

Things You'll Need

• Pop can rings
• Fishing line
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Plastic bags

Instructions

1. Tie the plastic pop can rings together with fishing line to create one large rectangle. Wrap the fishing line around each ring a few times, then double-knot it. Cut off the excess ends of fishing line. Create a second rectangle equal in size to the first one. The rectangles should be about 12 inches wide.

2. Lay the plastic bags on a flat surface. Cut a straight line across the top of the bag to remove the handles. Then, cut down one side and through the bottom of each bag. Unfold the bag so that it is one large rectangle. Do this with each bag. Standard size bags will open to about 24 inches wide.

3. Cut the plastic bags into 6-inch by 24-inch strips.

4. Weave each strip in and out of the holes on one of the pop ring rectangles. Do this by poking the end of a strip through the first hole, then bring it under the plastic strip of the pop ring, through the next hole, then over the next plastic strip. First weave the entire pop ring rectangle vertically (up and down), then weave horizontally (across) the rectangle. Repeat this for the second pop ring rectangle.

5. Place the two woven rectangles on top of each other. Then, double-knot the ends of the strips along the edges to bind the two rectangles together. Along the 12-inch top, knot the ends of the plastic bags to the plastic pop rings.

6. Cut six additional strips out of the plastic bags about 4 inches by 24 inches. Braid three of the strips together, then braid the other three. Tie the ends of the braid about 4 inches apart to one side of the top of the tote. Tie the other braid to the other side of the top of the tote in the same manner.

References

• City of Alexandria, Virginia: Solid Waste and Recycling
• Making Friends: Recycled Tote