July 15, 8:59 AM
Plastic shopping bags are a curse on our green Earth. If you are making an attempt at "Going Green," but using and throwing away plastic bags, you are committing a cardinal sin of the Green Living way.
But there is a double edged sword here. Those horrible for the environment plastic shopping bags make incredible tools around the apartment. There are literally dozens of uses for them that can really make apartment living better and a heck of a lot easier.
So what can you do? Is it okay to take the plastic bags? I say, "Yes. Go ahead and take them, but make sure to reuse them around the apartment for the various uses they are great for." But if you get caught by the Planet Police, I never knew you.
If you need a little help on reusing these around the apartment, here are a few tips:
Storing Old Clothes and things- Don't go out and buy boxes and such to store your winter clothes. Instead, bag them up and tuck them away in your closet.
Shopping Again- Never be afraid to take them with you when you go grocery shopping. Then just hand them to the checker to rebag your groceries in.
Umbrella...ella...ella- Keep one or two in your trunk or glove box to use as an emergency umbrella or to cover other items that you wish not to get wet in the rain. I have even seen people use them as shoe covers to walk through puddles and mud.
Grill Brush- Need something to brush off the community grill before throwing on some brats or burgers? Easy! Just ball up a plastic bag and use it as an abrasive scrubber.
Pooper Scooper/Trash Bag- One of the most common uses of these are to reuse them as a trash bag or to scoop up after your pet on community grounds. They can also be used when cleaning out Mittens's litter box. But the catch here is that you are still throwing the bag away in the end. Be sure to get as much use out of a bag before you do this.
Tote Bag- You can also use these as very simple tote bags. Load them up with dirty clothes to take to the laundry mat or with your overnight stuff when you are crashing at a friends. Whatever you need to tote around...sacrifice the superficial need for a cool looking bag and save the earth!
These are only a couple of examples of ways to reuse the bags, if you know any more...Please let me know in a comment. Happy Bag Collecting!
Love Living For Fun!