Hop on over to [tag]Craftster[/tag] and take a look at jamiewatchthestars’ detailed tutorial of transforming plastic shopping bags into durable, sewable, waterproof fabric with tons of character. After fusing the bags with an iron, the “fabric” mimics [tag]Tyvek[/tag] (used in shipping envelopes and, more recently, in fashion). The next time you’re asked “paper or plastic?” at the grocery store, you might not feel so guilty about taking home a boat-load of [tag]plastic bags[/tag] knowing that you can recycle them to this extent.
Why should you make your own shopping bags or totes? Plastic bags are from the same source as all plastic: crude oil. So what is wrong with crude oil? The manufacturing process emits considerable amounts of pollution, and the product is not biodegradable. On land, plastic bags are one of the most common types of litter worldwide. As plastic bags are lightweight and float easily, this means they can travel long distances when picked up by the wind this includes landing in the ocean. Then wildlife gets tangled or ingests the bags, both in the sea and on land. Make a difference and make your own shopping grocery bags. Have plastic bags you need to re-use? Consider making these DIY upcycled plastic bag crafts.
