BLOG OF iECYCLE

Inspired by a video on YouTube, Brad Elder, assistant professor of biology and Roots and Shoots of faculty advisor explains how turning wasted plastic bags into hand bags can help keep the environment clean and reduce the need of more plastic shopping bags. It seems like hand bag is just one example. There are many things that can be made by recycling wasted plastic bags. According to Brad, the main goal of the project is to create awareness.

Below are the steps to turn plastic bags into hand bags:

Step 1: Cut the bags

Plastic bags must be cut properly and prepared before melting them to ensure quality of the final product.

Step 2: The ironing process

Put stack of plastic bags in the middle of two wax paper and simply iron them. The process turns the plastic into a fabric (sort of). Make sure to set the iron between polyester and rayon setting. Be careful, as too hot iron can be a big problem.

Step 3: The sewing process

Finally, use your sewing skills to turn the plastic fabric into a nice looking hand bag.

The video also explains some of the pitfalls and ways to avoid them.

Enjoy!