Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challenge200,000 plastic bags are dumped in landfill every hour!
That's four million eight hundred thousand a day and one billion seven hundred fifty-two million a year, which is a huge amount of single-use plastic decaying in landfill and releasing methane gases. Or, if the bags don't make it to landfill it's likely that they find their way into our water stream; slowly breaking down into smaller and smaller particles which soak up chemicals and are then eaten back up the food chain by our sea life.
So what can you do?
First things first, ditch the plastic shopping bags. Grab a few canvas tote bags, or better yet, upcycle an old t-shirt into a multi-purpose tote!
Once you've made the switch you might still have a few old plastic bags stuffed into cupboards or drawers. Don't worry, you can put them to good use!
Turn your bags into "plarn" and then use it to crochet up a storm!
Image: AntsyArtist
You can make a backpack like this one from Bags Be Gone.
Or try your hand at some sandals like these ones from Craftster.
Our favourite idea for using plarn has to be this sleeping mat for the homeless that we showed you how to make last year. As sleeping mats, they're more hygienic, water proof, easily transportable, and provide protection from the cold concrete. They're a welcome comfort to those living rough, while also keeping more plastic out of landfill and our marine systems.
Another project we love is upcycling old garden supplies bags! It can be difficult to source plastic-free soil or compost so the bags that they come in are often unavoidable. This tote bag is durable and perfect for storing things in for around the house!
Read our tutorial here.
Last but not least is our plastic bag basket!
It's a decent project so you'll need to put on a pot of tea and line up some good viewing on Netflix!
Happy crafting!
Read this next: 6 Great Environmental Documentaries To Watch On Netflix
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