Turning Plastic Trash Into Luxury Bags | One Small Step

[@christinahall3318]

I’m a quilter and this has set my creative juices flowing. I already save and reuse all of our plastic grocery/shopping bags but I just wonder if I can make something from them……….hmmmm! I know many people crochet with strips of plastic bags - crocheting is not my thing but may just see what I can do with a sewing machine!

[@mr.mrs.d.7015]

Go! Go! Go! Youve got this!

[@michellecox1742]

That is so cool! I love people who have a vision and then boom, they are helping the earth💜

[@naturegirl2110]

I hope you turn it into a business. Success is on the way

[@pattiklaus9580]

What if you shred and sandwich between tule?

[@glendagraves1637]

Some people crochet the bags into mats to go under sleeping bags and also to help keep homeless people warmer and dryer.

[@janellekm]

What a great idea. I live in Australia and I recycle plastic as well. I cut it up and make plarn, which is plastic yarn, I make things like coat hanger covers, beds for the homeless to lie on, bags. My next venture is to make a rain poncho and see how that goes. Perhaps this company might want to also look into other products that they can make. Thanks for sharing this with us 😊

[@grittykitty50]

Janelle M, would this material that you make be strong enough for seating like outside sling chairs?

[@janellekm]

@@grittykitty50 it depends on how many bags you iron together. Maybe you might have to do the weaving method to make it strong enough for a chair or weave a bit of canvas in it. My process is to lightly iron bags together so that when you cut them up in a continuous method so as to make a string, or what is called plarn. If you google plarn projects, you will find all sorts of things to make.

[@srhfitzpatrick]

“Don't let perfection get in the way of progress.”

[@alfamaize]

What's old is new. My grandma was weaving rugs out of sandwich bread bags back 40 years go. And I know they are still in use.

[@DawnOldham]

She was waaaay ahead of her time!

[@cilcy849]

Grandmas are the greatest!

[@janellekm]

Our Grand parents did amazing things like this. Mine made their own furniture from tea chests ( a big square wooden box) and scraps of wood. 😊

[@katyjudd1061]

@@DawnOldham I think it was just more normal to reuse things years ago - ‘waste not, want not.’ Bags were paper, drinks bottles were glass and you got money back for returning them, all the little ends of a bar of soap were melted into a new bar, a repair shop in every town meant household items were repaired rather than having to buy new etc.

[@DawnOldham]

@@katyjudd1061 I totally agree… I was thinking of how people actually darned their socks instead of buying another pack for $1 each from Amazon! Lol

[@jenniferl3126]

Thank you for always researching everything recycling, reusing, reducing waste! The world 🌎 needs more people like you! ✌️😙

[@reenavasnani371]

AGREED 100 % ☺☺

[@JacquiWil]

What an absolutely fantastic idea!! I can empathize with the amount of work involved. As a paper crafter, who uses as much reclaimed paper as possible in my final products, the processing is always the most time consuming and that isn't often evident in the final piece. I just love how each one of these bags is a) recycled, b) tells a story, c) is unique and d) looks awesome!! Well done to Alex and his team.

[@shecalledmelisalou]

He should sell the “fabric” as outdoor and kitchen rugs!

[@kiviabrown2335]

I know right

[@diannecass880]

Is there a way to melt it into sheets of plastic that would be usable again.?

[@briannahines627]

@@diannecass880 there's a company in Indian a young man started where he collected plastic bags and turned them into shoes, and he melted the plastic there. So I believe it's possible. The video is on KZbin if you want to check it out.

[@briannahines627]

*India

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

There’s this country in Arica that recycles plastic into durable brick pavers that don’t break them you throw them .

[@reenavasnani371]

WOW !!!!!!! That's GOOD . ☺

[@TheAccidentalViking]

I've made fused plastic wallets and reusable shopping bags. Fusing layers of plastic together with a commercial fabric iron takes less time than weaving it. It was a learning curve to work out which bags worked best and that plastic bags with loads of ink print on them don't work very well. Some plastics shrink and wrinkle more than others when you apply the mild heat and some just seem to refuse to stick together. Some of the end results I was very proud of, though.

[@DawnDavidson]

I saw a KZbin video on how to do that, recently. So anyone reading your comment should know it’s easy to search for a how-to! Thanks for commenting to let people know. :)

[@jobabs]

Trex, a company that makes composite decking materials, has a recycling program for soft, flexible plastics. They use it in their composite decking materials. Our small town’s (pop. 700) civic organization has been collecting the plastics from citizens for about a year and has turned in enough to earn 2 park benches made of the composite material. These benches will be placed in the city park and in our small business district. It’s a great project for school and community organizations.

[@kismypencek6185]

Way to Alex for being brave to make the difference!!!!

[@carolynnmathisen8754]

How about making durable rugs? The kind you use on the garage floor to keep the house clean. Looks like it could be hosed clean

[@katbar6066]

I reckon they would make durable door mats to to wipe your feet on . As you said it looks like they could be hosed off. One for the garage is a good idea too.

[@AllHallows1000]

i'd recommend he make some laundry bags. As a hispanic we have some really strong plastic laundry bags I think this method he's making the bags seem like they can be sturdier

[@buckeyedav1]

The bags are beautiful but too pricy for the average consumer in my opinion. I have seen the crocheted ones and some are done very beautifully. I hope that this can become more affordable so that people are reusing them as shopping bags instead of them being put in the landfills. Anna In Ohio.

[@dianemoonstone4715]

Agree.

[@thegazetteyt]

No, it's not. Not based on their pipeline. Stop being used to $25 items not made in the USA and start thinking of buying investment pieces like our grandparents did.

[@alexisdandrea7576]

@@thegazetteyt yes this is to expensive for the average consumer. If it's not for you then great by all means buy a ton I would love to see them succeed.

[@thegazetteyt]

@@alexisdandrea7576 no its not. As someone who works in fabrication and production, most of what the "average consumer" and been consuming is way, WAY underpriced. It has been for decades.

[@alexisdandrea7576]

@@thegazetteyt $130 for something that looks like a grocery bag is not affordable for the average consumer. If you can afford this great but I go shopping and come home with a car full of food. I would need a minimum of 8 of these bags. So while this is a great first step it is not going to be for the majority of people.

[@jeancm.14]

Always have an Eco bag while doing shopping/groceries 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️

[@migglemaggle9500]

I’m wondering if they can be used for rugs?? Like the old weaved ones. They look great! Can’t wait to own one.

[@tassiegirl1991]

We had a woven plastic kitchen rug when I was a teen mum purchased it it was very long lasting and easy to clean just a hose outdoors these bags remind me of it.

[@a.l9313]

Outside rugs. Doormats.

[@bmell1252]

Did you notice the price for one bag is $133. ?

[@faithhowe6170]

@@bmell1252 Considering the amount of work that goes into making them, that's reasonable.

[@patmitchell2389]

@@bmell1252 that’s way too much only the well off could afford it. Especially now when we have so many out of work and going hungry

[@AnneluvsKatz]

Lots of people do this… it’s GREAT that he took it to this scale!

[@maggie6479]

I think they would make cool floor or window coverings

[@patternharlot]

Perhaps sell the plarn (plastic yarn) to weavers, knitters, etc. That stuff makes great laundry baskets and sleep mats for the homeless.

[@katf3836]

EVERY MAJOR City or MAJOR County needs this!!

[@gerichiarello1958]

I've been crocheting plastic bags into rugs and etc. Its endless on what can you do. It's a hobby, so in winter months, I get my mind on something

[@zoekenny3619]

Gosh I love these stories! Sometimes after reading the news I feel so hopeless about where we're all heading (especially as an Australian with our fossil-fuel loving government), but stories like this make me feel a bit hopeful 🙏

[@Songer80]

The plastic bags aren't UV stabilized so it will fall apart into micro-plastics and get into the food chain. Best thing to do is not use it at all, but if you have to use, burn it so it breaks down into its component atoms. Don't burn it yourself, but at industrial facilities that can create the super high temperature necessary to do it cleanly as possible. Or remelt it with UV stabilizers and make big products so they are going to last for thousands of years.

[@dawnbrady684]

Im glad there are people like this man and his business actually putting money to actions.

[@priscillajimenez27]

Hopefully we'll get to the point where we won't use plastic bags/wrap (with exceptions of course), but until then this is an interesting idea.

[@ruthscott5166]

This was great to see. I've been crocheting plarm bags and placemats for a while now.

[@ky9805]

Me too! Amazing how many more times we can use them over and over. Plus extra years

[@aikanae1]

It's possible to melt plastic bags together with just an iron (under a towel), then cut into strips to form a "yarn" to crochet and makes wonderful cushy mats (for the homeless). For about a week. That's the problem. Soft plastic bags disintegrate (not disappear) into thousands of tiny pieces very quickly. I've melted stacks of over 20 bags, interspersed with different materials to increase longevity, and they make an interesting material to work with initially, they don't last - not even long enough for a bath mat.

[@debbiestherapy]

This needs to be EVERYWHERE! Brilliant!

[@janetpapageorgiou1869]

This recycling material would also make great outdoor large rugs that would be perfect to cope with the elements! Kudos to this young man and his reuse of plastic waste.

[@frances6827]

I love their using bright sharp colors that add to the attractiveness of the bags. Love that lime and also blue colors!

[@PoisonedFirefly]

About time the US started with something like this.

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

We can still do this with old clothing and make rugs and all sorts .

[@ginadelsasso288]

I would like to thank this guy for giving me an awesome idea. I make coil baskets out of yard and rope. I am totally going to make a basket out of plastic now.

[@bridgethaig8923]

My daughter crocheted me a bag for my birthday last year out of plastic grocery bags it's very cool.

[@rparks8276]

The only problem is that the finished bags are $133. The very people you are trying to convince to recycle are priced out of your recycled bag market. Nice concept, though.

[@jollygreengiant7655]

This channel does not get near the attention it deserves.

[@katbar6066]

Agreed. It just popped up for me to watch today and I have never seen it before now.

[@rebeccaherrera6006]

Share to other platforms. I do to FB.

[@laurakaszuba6785]

You need to get in touch with the ladies that crochet the mats they give to the homeless people. It keeps them dry and off the cold ground in the winter. What you're doing is amazing, and a great help to Mother Earth. Thank you so much.

[@marina1001]

What a guy! God bless you.

[@wellhello1603]

I think grocery shops should sell those instead of new made shoppers. So great idea, I winder how it wears tho, those plastics aren’t durable by themselves and break/melt easily

[@mommyingBetchay]

There is still a fabric lining and looks like the way they were made are durable

[@asilas3157]

I am so grateful for people using their talents/resources to better our world!

[@kristn6513]

Wonderfully smart man, I hope he achieves much success ✌️💙

[@mildredmartinez8041]

This is amazing and thank you for continuing to bring us stories of people thinking and acting outside the box.

[@katbar6066]

Brilliant idea and the bags looked fantastic. Here in Australia we can take our soft plastics back to a Supermarket Chain (Woolworths) and I believe they recycle the plastic into Bench Seats, Decking Boards and Bollards and Posts.

[@NadineBurnes]

Ive been waiting for someone to come up with a decent idea for plastic bags, i have kept mine for years and this so far is the best idea I've come across, i was going to iron them into a thick plastic panel but i have no use for that i, well done, if anyone else has ideas about what they could be made into, ide love to hear it, your ideas are a start to a better world 🙏🏻

[@lovefaith6285]

This is so amazing! I love the idea of every city having the ability to do this, it creates jobs, teaches a skill and helps the environment! How would someone go about bringing this into their city?

[@tracymitchell400]

I would be very happy to gather my plastic stuff and mail it to a company who did this. I think many people would be happy to help. Thumbs up!

[@suzanahas4740]

Man, love your beautiful mind who had this excellent idea! Nobel prize for this man..

[@jensingerlady]

Love this idea. Would love to see even more products made from the woven material.

[@Hoofprintknits]

What is it warped with? What kind of yarn?

[@veseyexclusive]

This is so great! What a fabulous way to repurpose soft plastic And I love the idea of bringing it to other cities as well 💚 Great job !

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

I love innovation .

[@meme7591]

How do they clean those bags before weaving them together

[@marieryan2541]

What a great idea. Helps the planet and stop it going into land fill.

[@Ensensu2]

Would making bales from the bags and tying them together not be a more efficient method of both transport and storage of plastic bags?

[@Ann-ke7fu]

Once it's woven, could it be recycled then?

[@lizmortley6356]

My mom knit the plastic strips together to make mats. Yes it’s very time consuming but nice to reuse material that would otherwise go in the trash

[@teresalowry6340]

I wonder if anyone could come up with a shelter for the homeless using trash plastic?

[@grayonthewater]

Thank you for sharing this story and for letting us know about the Fidelity sustainable option! I want to start investing in eco friendly business so this is good to know!

[@rgvtexas8391]

Every store in America should require shoppers to bring their own containers to carry their purchases in. Plastic problem solved. Ban plastic 100 percent.

[@marymagdalene3004]

How do you suggest we transport fish to our home after purchasing? Do we go back to wrapping it in newspaper? Until these problems are solved, we will rely on plastic bags.

[@kathryn1050]

Brilliant!!!

[@RoseEDoodles]

What an amazing idea!! The price is not horrible considering how labor intensive it is to create these bags. 700 POUNDS to make 15 bags, that's A lot of plastic!!! THAT'S A LOT OF WORK!!! I can't wrap my mind around how long it must take to process 700 lbs of plastic, it must take many employee's many days to do it. Dear Santa, I now know what I want for Christmas. One of these awesome, made in AMERICA 🇺🇸 bags. I don't care what color!!

[@liegesaboya8265]

Trying to see the bags , but when it appears is just for a second . It looks very beautiful Congratulations to this man and his crew. Also to the channel!

[@rebacarmack8335]

Is there a website to purchase these bags?

[@kathiejohns1418]

Bravo!I support you all the way!Wish others in other cities would start this

[@MichelleVanZyl-bz4gr]

Do you wash the plastic before using it?

[@reneebrown2968]

Thank you for saving the ocean creatures by way of keeping all that plastic bags in the oceans of our world .

[@aoiferynne96]

Is there anywhere to but these fabulous bags in UK or on-line?

[@valzeppelin5153]

This is something people can really get behind. It's not a bunch of politicians telling everyone else what they HAVE to do and forcing it on people. It is regular people making their own decision to make a change. When politicians just stop pushing million dollar deals and looking for ways to pocket money, more regular people will fix problems the most cost effective way they can. ❤

[@CC-ed7od]

I have a friend who crochets, she made blankets for the homeless with strips of plastic bags

[@SBL1932]

Is what a brilliant young man. I wish him all the success in the world

[@wendybeaver8218]

Are these plastics cleaned before using?

[@liatc1847]

not just for bags.. you can make carpets and maybe types of covers... depends on the durability.... Great Idea..

[@robertabrady8127]

Perfect, we need more people getting into this. Such a great idea to keep plastic out of landfill.. if plastic is so bad for environmental why do they allow these companies to keep making them?

[@claudetteyoung3383]

This process could be made even better if the bag company also provided such items as patio rugs, welcome mats and outdoor uses for the woven "fabric". If they could do that, their sales margins, recycling inventory, etc. would also increase as word got out about their products. Just a suggestion for the company. I think it's great what they're doing.

[@alexisdandrea7576]

For the cost of the item maybe a different shape? Something more like a purse? I thought this was going to be a slightly more expensive grocery bag because it has that shape but that price for that look? For my budget I would have to look into buying a fabric bag made from used clothing for my groceries. Unfortunately, I don't sew or I would do this with my family's destroyed jeans.

[@alleaufihreposition]

133,-USD for one of these new bags. Sorry, but that is crazy.

[@vickyhendriks5226]

This plastic bag dilemma is just so big. I wish more countries would ban them. In NZ, businesses are not allowed to give out plastic bags anymore however I know there is still a big supply even when it's just plastic packaging as I use the recycled soft plastic bin myself and it's always overflowing

[@bearngiftsplus9524]

BRAVO! I love creativity and sir you and your staff is on it!

[@naumankabir9842]

Hi . Can you guide me how I can get this recycling machine to make bags from snack wrappers

[@IMOO1896]

How do we purchase these bags?

[@kristenbossert]

Is there a link to their online store? What a GREAT idea!

[@CreativeRedundancy]

"plarn" and these are useful resource. For those who not only recycle them , but reuse them are taking "one small step" into a better direction for all us , the people . take CaRe planet people

[@michelemurphy3541]

Alex ❤️. You are a charm. A genius. A go getter. Love!!!

[@vic0732]

Je crains que le résultat soit de disséminer encore plus de plastique minuscule dans la nature

[@mr.mrs.d.7015]

Love it!

[@mithamithun]

It can be used for picnic mattress too

[@taliahmonae7337]

So cool and creative!

[@jonimosteller8031]

Great job!!! Where can we bye a bag?

[@creativegirl9710]

I love that! And the bags look great too. Great colors and fun vibrant straps that any age person could use. I bet anyone at home could weave together a swatch. Design a home weaver and try various plastics. Would be a great grade school art project.

[@emmerodriguez1549]

Amazing 🤩 I’m getting me one.

[@LADYKAT...]

Me to!

[@jacquiebgood]

what about iron melting the plastic bags together before using it for weaving??

[@inthesparklingsky]

It’s a great idea, but how many people would choose to buy an “ugly” oversized and simple plastic bag for 133 dollars just for the sake of supporting recycling? Personally, I’d prefer to reuse my plastic bags and avoid spending money. I think they should try to use the fibers for something different that can be more useful than a fashion accessory.

[@jessspoto3968]

This would be cool as an outdoor rug!

[@creativegirl9710]

The plastic fabric would be great for patio furniture covers!

[@rociocontreras-hayes7996]

I want to do it here in Nevada . I am a teacher and we are an IB school and totally would involve our students and community here .

[@lyraladd833]

Make pop up shops around the country!! This would be brilliant!

[@melissasturgis]

Does he the bags to retail stores, grocery stores, and to others?

[@rosemarie20]

Could also weave indoor or outdoor rugs, door mats, many, many things. But, the flat items would require the least effort and reuse the most at one time.

[@lunkis3233]

Respect!

[@melanieross7950]

I absolutely love this idea! Can’t wait to check out the website and maybe purchase as well as donate!