Search Results for: blog uses for plastic bags

LA Bans Disposable Plastic Shopping Bags

Posted on by

I have blogged about how you should switch to the reusable shopping bags. I’ve also blogged about uses for your disposable plastic bags, but if you live in Los Angeles, you won’t have much need for that blog anymore because LA, home to 4 million people, has become the largest municipality in America to ban plastic shopping bags. (This image is from MorgueFile.) The city council approved the ban by a vote of 13 to 1. Environmental groups campaigning for this ban elicited the help of celebrities such as John Cusack, Edward Norton, and Julia Roberts. This ban won’t take … Continue reading →

Plastic vs Reusable

Posted on by

Los Angeles just became the largest city to vote ban the use of plastic bags. Los Angeles alone uses 2.3 billion plastic shopping bags a year and only about 5% are recycled. What does this mean to the rest of us? It means that the times, they are a changing and we need to adapt. I’ve long been a fan of reusable shopping bags. Mine are about two years old now and almost embarrassing to use. I need to make some new ones. I don’t like bringing home plastic bags so I try to always have one in my purse, … Continue reading →

Uses for Plastic Bags

Yes, I shouldn’t even be writing this blog as plastic bags are anti-green. But, sometimes I forget my reusable bags and end up with plastic bags from the store. You can return them to many stores for recycling, but there are also some ways you can been a bit green by reusing the plastic bags. One easy way to reuse the bags is to put your dirty clothes in them. No matter where we travel, we end up with plastic bags and always use them for this. You can also wrap your shoes in plastic bags to keep them from … Continue reading →

Frugal Uses for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid

Dawn dishwashing liquid is a good value for the money. If you can stock up on it with coupons, even better. It lasts a long time and can be used for many different things around the house, from cleaning to first aid. No, I’m not being compensated for saying anything about Dawn. I’ve just come to rely on it for many uses around the home, substituting it for more expensive products. This keeps things frugal. You may be able to substitute other dishwashing liquids and save even more money, but I haven’t tested any others. If I can get the … Continue reading →

Dangers of Reusable Grocery Bags

Eco-friendly reusable bags are everywhere. What’s more, they are now available in a rainbow of colors and bold, dramatic prints that make them more attractive than ever. The collapsible and durable bags can carry about 35 pounds and hold roughly two times the amount of items as traditional grocery bags. Unfortunately, some health experts are warning that the popular reusable bags are not as good for humans as they are for the environment. According to food safety experts, who have conducted numerous tests on reusable grocery bags, the environmentally friendly totes can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Tests show … Continue reading →

The Many Uses for Ikea Bags

If you know anything about me, you know I am a big fan of IKEA. IKEA is a great inexpensive place to go for accessories for the home and for the odd piece of furniture. I also think it is a great place to purchase Christmas presents. A website called IKEA Hacker that profiles all of the cool things you can do with different items from IKEA. The Ikea Hacker website shows you to to take the highly functional and cute IKEA items and turn them into decorative works of art. For instance, the white PS cabinet was transformed into … Continue reading →

The Conundrum of Plastic Grocery Bags

Whenever possible, it is important to tote your own reusable plastic bags to the grocery store. A less green option is to opt for paper bags over plastic. Some regions are even considering adding a plastic bag fee for consumers, so that they will be charged 20 cents on average for each plastic bag that they cart out of the store. But phasing out plastic bags may have a negative effect on the environment. Believe it or not. Plastic bags have a lot of negative press. Beside using up valuable resources and landing in landfills, they can even pose health … Continue reading →

New Uses for Washcloths

Do you use wash cloths? If you have a bunch that are just sitting there, why not turn them into something useful? This morning, I decided to do a little spring cleaning of our linen closet. One thing that struck me was the amount of wash cloths that we have. There were probably 20 or more of them. Now, having a lot of washcloths could be a good thing if you use them, since it is recommended that you only use a washcloth once and then launder it. But, the fact remains that we seldom use wash cloths. I can … Continue reading →

New Uses for Bread Bags

Thanks to the great deals at the bakery thrift store, we have been buying a lot of bread for sandwiches and toast. I have been saving the bread maker usage time for rolls, quick breads and pizza dough. As a result, we are quickly accumulating a lot of bread bags. I thought it might be a good idea to share some ideas for reusing bread bags. Some of these ideas we use in our own home, some ideas I researched, and some ideas were given to me by friends and readers. Do you have an idea that doesn’t appear here? … Continue reading →

New Uses for Blanket Plastic Bags

Do you know those zippered or snapped plastic bags that come with blankets, comforters and sheet sets? They seem so useful and a shame to throw out, don’t they? They are made of sturdy plastic and they have that convenient zipper or snaps to close the bags and protect something, right? You keep the bags thinking that they might be useful to restore those blankets and sheets, but no matter how you fold them, the blankets, comforters or sheets just won’t fit again. Well, read on to find some ways you can give them new life, saving money in the … Continue reading →