Reuse Your Plastic Sandwich Bags
Reusable shopping bags are getting used more and more, but what about the other plastic bags we use. I used zip lock bag the other day to hold some popcorn. When I was done with the popcorn the bag was virtually brand new and it seemed silly to throw it away. I just put the bag back in my bag drawer crumbs intact, but even if I had put something messy in the bag I could just wash it out. That’s where this cool plastic bag drying rack comes in handy. The one on the left is available from GAIAM for $20. The one on the right I made with with stuff I found around my house in less than three minutes and the one on the bottom I made with stuff from my kitchen in less than 20 seconds.
As I was writing this post I thought about how easy it would be to make my own version of what the one for sale on GAIAM so I set my stopwatch and went to work. In exactly 2 minutes and 43 seconds I was able to find the materials and fashion this bag dryer without spending a dime. I used a tennis ball that was sitting in my hallway (don’t ask), and some bamboo skewers that have been sitting in my drawer since a barbeque two years ago. I used a wine cork screw to poke holes in the ball and just a paring knife to cut off the bottom. I wouldn’t recommend using a tennis ball, there are probably much easier things to use but I was going for speed on this project.
Once I was done it occurred to me that there was an even easier way to do this without creating another fixture on my counter. First I took a glass our of my drying rack and threw the skewers in there but the bags weight too much and they kept falling out so I put another glass on top to keep em in. When all is said and done I like this option the best because it is easily assembled and easily disassembled and doesn’t require any special materials. What do you think?
Any Suggestions?
10 Comments, Comment or Ping
Cristina F
That’s so funny! My mom’s been doing that for as long as I can remember but she just uses the wooden spoons/utensils that stand up out of a jar on her kitchen counter.
May 6th, 2008
Sarah
I love this! I was just looking at the manufactured one on gaiam thinking it was a clever product but could probably be made for little to nothing out of things around the house. I hadn’t gotten so far as to figure out what though, so I love seeing your design. I’m trying to figure out a clothes dryer now…was looking for a bamboo one rather than a new wooden one, but haven’t found one yet. Any ideas?? thanks!
May 27th, 2008
Lucy
This is great. I’ve started doing this too! Not only do I feel good about finding another green thing to do but I’m saving money too!!
Thanks for writing about it!
Lucy
May 28th, 2008
Nic O'Reilly
A cool way to reuse plastic bags.
I have gone a step further and now just use paper bags. They cost heaps less than the plastic bags, and once they cannot be reused I just put them in with my compost!
Jun 14th, 2008
Cheryn
Wow! The wheel has just been invented. I’ve been doing this for so long I can’t even remember when I started-maybe when I started using zip lock bags! I use whatever is around to try them, wooden spoons sticking out of the utensil drain in the drying rack, etc. Of course some fools will spend $20 to get a \state-of-the-art\ bag dryer! Go figure….
Sep 25th, 2008
Condo Blues
I’ve been washing and reusing zip lock bags forever. I washing them by turning them inside out and putting them in the top rack of my dish washer. Then I dry them on chopsticks in the silverware holder of my dish rack in my sink.
Sep 29th, 2008
Amanda
A friend and I were discussing this recently. She does it the way her mom does–she washes the bags, and then pops them in the freezer. When you take them out, you just shake out the ice. I’ve just started doing this, and it works well.
Sep 29th, 2008
Haruna
My mom has always rinsed out and reused the gallon and quart bags because they are more durable and more expensive. However, wouldn’t rinsing out sandwich bags waste a lot of water and significantly cut into the savings? While I think it is worth sacrificing the water for the sake of keeping the plastic out of the landfill, I don’t believe this is a real source of savings. Reusing plastic bags should be a common practice, but I think people should be aware that the impact would be much more significant to the environment than to their wallet.
Sep 30th, 2008
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