Disintegrating Plastic Bag Plarn
I guess it’s inevitable that all good things do come to an end. My favorite recycled plastic bag tote is disintegrating. I crocheted this plarn tote bag back in 2007 so its 5 years old now.
I use this recycled bag for groceries and produce all the time. A few months ago, the stitching started coming apart below the handle so I spliced in a strand of plarn and repaired the hole. I could see then that the existing plastic bag yarn was very brittle and starting to disintegrate.
Here is the latest disintegration of my plastic bag tote. I actually found another hole after I took this photo. As you can see the ends are very brittle and when I tried to weave the ends under, they just break off.
So as my favorite recycled tote bag ends it useful life, I am crocheting a new plarn tote bag. I’m making it a bit bigger and with a strong handle. So until my new reusable tote bag is finished I will try and mend this tote bag again. It just has been my favorite recycled bag for years and it is hard to let it go. So as I type this I am preparing another repair to the holes that have appeared. A good thing is just difficult to let go of.
Tags: plarn, repairing-plarn, repairs
Feb 11, 2014
How do you know what type of plastic will fall apart and what type will stay intact. I am trying to teach women in Mexico how to recycle and help with reusing wasteful products.
Is there something that you can suggest (i.e. used garden dirt bags, pet food bags, plastic table clothes, anything at all that will have staying power in order to help women who have the knowledge of hand crafts and would benefit their family from selling hand crafted re-cycled items. There are areas that will accept this type of work and allow benefit for women and children.
Any suggestions?
Joy
Feb 11, 2014
Joy – If you use heavier plastics like bread bags, frozen food bags, pet bags, plastic table cloths, and other such plastic, they last much longer than the thin plastic retail bags. Many people are interested in purchasing hand-crafted recycled crafts such as handbags, totes, mats, rugs, and hats. Try selling the items at outdoor markets, fairs, craft shows and anywhere that offers handmade products. I applaud your efforts and wish you well. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with as you move forward with your teachings.
Sep 13, 2015
The plastic is falling apart because it’s got biodegradeable plastic in it. You have to be very sure that all bags are marked with the recycle logo (the triangle with the number in it). If they are not, don’t use them as you will be taking a chance that they will disintegrate in as little as 6 months. I wasn’t checking when I had some help cutting the bags up and I had a number of them come back with holes. Luckily it was only a few and I was able to repair them. I have bags that are over 10 years old and they are all fine.