Feel free to add comments to tips and blog posts & build on the information or
click here to submit new earth friendly tips and
environmental news items!
First published January 2009, updated February 2011
I was going through some of my old stuff a while back and found a bundle of
photos stored in a bread bag from the bakery we owned when I was a kid -
that's over 25 years ago. It drove home the point just how long these plastics
last. A quarter of a century and the plastic hadn't deteriorated one bit.
I'm not sure if there's been much advancement in the world of bread bags in
terms of making them a little more earth friendly; so this is another area
that certainly needs some improvement.
Sure, you can go to a bakery and buy full loaves wrapped in paper or make
your own bread which will also cut down bag usage, but for most of us this
isn't going to be the case.
Many families would wind up with hundreds of bread bags each year. So what to
do them all?
We probably can't keep them out of the waste stream forever, but perhaps they
can be used for other purposes that may prevent the use/purchase of another
product. Here's some ideas:
- For packing sandwiches
- As packing material when shipping goods
- General storage for small items
- A replacement for freezer bags
- Plastic
bag crafts
- A cake icing piping bag
- Handy bags for picking up dog
poop
- Liners for a benchtop kitchen tidy
- Makeshift gloves
- Punch holes in the bag and use as a seedling tube
- Car travel sick bag
- Car travel rubbish bag
- Seasoning bag; add seasoning and meat and shake
As mentioned, these ideas won't keep the bread bags out of the waste stream,
but they might take the place of something you'd otherwise buy for the tasks.
Lowering consumption of anything and everything is something we can all do to
reduce our environmental impact. "Repurposing" is one of the 3R's of
going green: "Reduce, Reuse (Repurpose) and Recycle! Sometimes it's the
simple things we often overlook that give us the best opportunity for
contributing to a greener planet.
Have ideas for using bread bags you'd like to contribute? Please add them
below!
I read in one of your articles that plastic store bags could be made into totes. I'm not a "knitter" so I'm not sure this would be possible with the smaller bread bags, but it might be worth a shot.
Comment #2
(Posted by Belinda)
Great idea - I also use them to dispose of dirty (disposable) nappies.
Comment #3
(Posted by Gayle)
Many years ago (like 35), my grandmother had a loom and wove them into door mats. They withstood the weather great! The loom was like those old fashioned pot holders kits we made as kids only larger.
Comment #4
(Posted by Beth C)
My family travels a lot so I use them to pack shampoos and items that always seem to spill.
Comment #5
(Posted by Brooke)
I use bread bags as well as cereal bags, potato bags (not the holey kind), carrot bags, etc. for dog poo pick up. This way I can take reusable bags to the store and the bags I use for dog poo are bags I have inadvertently acquired anyways!
Comment #6
(Posted by myra)
My mother used them when we children to cover shoes to keep them dry and inside our snow or rain boots to help keep our feet dry.
Comment #7
(Posted by Katie)
It is also my understanding that bread bags can be recycled with other plastic bags. You can also recycle the plastic on toilet paper and (if you use them) paper towels.
Comment #8
(Posted by Carly)
My mom always saved bread bags and used them to store homemade bread, cookies and other baked goods in the fridge or freezer.
Comment #9
(Posted by John Sulano)
I agree with you that the bread plastic bags do last forever, and while there may be many other uses for these bags, the bottom line is that eventually they will be thrown away. They can degrade and will disappear in a landfill if they put the additive my company has patented. It is non-toxic, and contains no heavy metals. The plastic will become 100% biodegradable using this catalyst. For more information on 100% Landfill Biodegradable Plastic go to: www.biotech-products.net
Comment #10
(Posted by Michelle)
Bread bags are also convenient for scoopable kitty litter waste.
Comment #11
(Posted by Windy)
Someome already mentioned dog poo bags. Even if you don't have a dog, you can take them to your local shelter, especially ones with outside ares for showing/walking dogs - they will gladly accept them. They can use as many as you throw at them! It will mean a nicer environment for the dogs at the shelter. When the poo is cleaned up the place smells better which may also help a dog get adopted!
Comment #12
(Posted by Trudy Knibbs)
have just foud a pattern in an op shop for a crochet hat yes made out of breadbags
Comment #13
(Posted by Tina Miller)
I have baked our family's bread for years and periodically have to buy bread just to replace the bags I have worn out. Find someone who needs the bags for their intended use-Bread!
Comment #14
(Posted by reynaldo )
use bread bag as short term hand gloves with rubber band on arm while cleanig toilets dirty rugs etc.
Comment #15
(Posted by Vicki)
When I was a kid I had a bread bag that I used for years for all my little plastic play dishes and plastic food. I don't even remember when I first started using it, I always had it!
Comment #16
(Posted by Peta in France)
Using Bread Bags to make a Christmas Wreath- sounds tatty but trust me – quite effective - we used to make and sell them when I worked in mental health (good fundraiser); take one wire coat hanger – shape/stretch it into a circle leaving the "hanger (hook ) in place. Cut the plastic bread bag (or any plastic bag, any colour into strips about 4 cm wide and Aprox 20 cm long (experiment with the length and width as it changes the final result) tie each piece on to the wire with a single loop tie action. Push each piece close the last piece, continue until the wire is full. – it take a lot of pieces to complete wreath but worth it. Decorate the final wreath with fir cones- small oranges or any Christmas decoration. Children and adults alike love making these. Why not put on a Christmas music CD and set up a mini production line- keeps them occupied for ages.
Comment #17
(Posted by Kathleen Maurice)
When I was little, my mother used bread bags over my feet before she put my snow boots on. They helped to keep my feet dry and made getting the boots off easier.
Comment #18
(Posted by franceska)
I use them as protection for frozen food. I put my frozen item in the bread bag, then inside fancy double lined freezer bag (or vacuum sealed bag). this way the freezer bag stays clean &can be re-used over and over too.
After it's done it's liner duty, it does dooty duty. Kitty box lumps go in various non-recyclable bags.
I do make about 30% of my own bread.
and am looking at some in-store bakery bags that hold the bread fine but when I've tried reusing them they rip easily. I wonder if these are bio-degradable. The surface looks a bit like tiny bubble wrap.
Don't forget the bread bag closures. The little square plastic things are good scrapers :)
Comment #19
(Posted by Jolanta)
I reuse them when shopping, instead of taking new plastic bag in a grocery.
I also cannot stop thinking how we all lived 20,30 years ago. I grew up in Poland and when you went to any store you had to have your own bag/tote otherwise you weren't able to do much shopping. At bakery they just handed bread or rolls and you threw it into your tote.We were sometimes short in paper, so newspaper was used in stores. To buy sauerkraut or pickles we brought glass jars and a lady with a big wooden fork dig them out from a big barrel. By the time we got home half of it was consumed :-)
Comment #20
(Posted by Kathy)
I know this is a bit different but you can create a holiday wreath with those plastic bags. Use a white insert to pin the scrunched bags all around and put a pretty bow on the side.
