15 Clever Ways To Reuse Plastic Bags All Around The Home

Looking for ways to reuse those plastic bags that sneak into your home? I’ve got tons of sustainable ideas to help you reuse and repurpose them.

However much you try and avoid them, I find that plastic bags have a sneaky way of entering your home. Whether it’s realising at the supermarket checkout that you’ve forgotten your reusable bag or someone returning something they’ve borrowed from you in a carrier bag, these things have a habit of just turning up.

Whilst plastic bag use has apparently fallen by 98% in the UK, I’ve found that despite my best efforts, it doesn’t stop them from just turning up! However, there’s no need to bin the plastic bags that do turn up in your home or leave them languishing in the cupboard under your sink. Instead, here are some sustainable ways to use them all around the home.

Clever Ways To Reuse Plastic Bags

Here are lots of ways you can give those carrier bags a new life – whether that’s reusing them or passing them on to organisations that can make good use of them:

Store Shoes When Travelling

Plastic bags are great for keeping dirty soles away from clean clothes in your suitcase or backpack. Just pop each pair into a separate bag and tie the handles to keep them contained. It’s also a good way to reuse something that might otherwise be binned, and makes your luggage that bit more organised.

Wrap Paintbrushes Mid-Project

If you’re halfway through a DIY job and need to stop for the day then you can wrap the paint brushes tightly in a plastic bag to keep them from drying out. This trick can keep brushes usable overnight – or even for a few days. This saves water and energy from extra cleaning and can cut down on the amount of paint brushes you may have to buy.

Collect Food Scraps for Composting

If you’re not using a countertop kitchen caddy, then a reused plastic bag can be used as a makeshift container for food scraps during meal prep. Once it’s full, tip it into your compost pile or food waste bin. Just remember that you shouldn’t put the bag in the food waste bin or the composter – only use this method if you’re reusing the bag.

Wrap Fragile Items

If you are moving house or posting something breakable, then plastic bags can also be used as protective cushioning.

If you’ve got a stash of plastic bags, this is a practical way to keep them out of landfill for longer. Simply scrunch them up around mugs, jars, or anything fragile. They’re light and flexible, and unlike bubble wrap, you’re not buying something new just to throw it away after one use.

I’ve got lots more top eco-friendly moving tips this way, if you are on the move any time soon.

Make Plarn For Crafting

You may not have heard of the term “plarn” but it’s very worthwhile learning about. A portmanteau of the words plastic and yarn – it is made by cutting plastic bags into strips and knotting them together, to create a sturdy continuous length of interlocked fibres.

Crafters use it to crochet or knit practical things like reusable shopping bags, plant pot holders and even rugs. It’s such a creative way to breathe new life into materials that might otherwise go to waste.

I am not a knitter or a crocheter but I keep trying! One day I WILL master one of these plant pot holders!

Weave A Basket Or Bowl

In a similar vein, you can twist and braid plastic bags into strips and coil them into a basket or shallow bowl. It’s a bit time-consuming, but very satisfying, and it turns those old plastic bags into something functional that you can use around the house for years. And despite using such a soft and flexible material, the baskets and bowls are also surprisingly sturdy when done right.

If you want to give this a go, then I’ve found a host of plastic bag weaving tutorials on TikTok.

Protect Plants From Frost

If there’s a sudden snap of cold weather and your seedlings are still soft and new, a plastic bag can act as a quick temporary insulating cover overnight.

All you need to do is loosely drape the bag over the plant (using a stick or two to keep it off the leaves) and weigh it down gently at the base. Remove the bag in the morning to let the plant breathe. Whatever you do, don’t leave it on for too long as moisture can build up which could cause the plant to rot.

Store Wet Or Dirty Clothes

If you’ve been swimming, hiking, or camping then a spare plastic bag in your rucksack is a handy thing to have to hand – particularly if you have been caught in a surprise downpour, or the ground you were walking on turned surprisingly muddy.

Wet socks, muddy trousers, swimsuits and damp towels can go inside, keeping the rest of your things dry and clean until you get home.

Store Seasonal Items

Rather than buying plastic storage boxes, you can use plastic bags to wrap and protect seasonal items like Christmas decorations, your camping gear, or picnic items until you need them. They can stop things from getting dusty in storage. Plus it helps you keep things grouped together in the loft or garage. Just make sure you label the bags to avoid having to rummage through to find what you need!

Reuse Them As Shopping Bags

Reusing your carrier bags as shopping bags is hardly revolutionary, but lots of people don’t reuse their old bags in this way. In fact, 13% of shoppers admit to always or often buying bags at the till – despite the plastic bag charge in the UK.

Reusable shopping bags don’t have to be made of fabric, and you certainly don’t have to spend a fortune on a bag. That old carrier bag may not look the nicest, but it will certainly do the job. After all, most plastic carrier bags are sturdy enough to be reused again and again, plus they fold up small in your bag or pocket. Shops also don’t mind if you use a carrier bag branded with another shop’s logo, so don’t worry about that!

Line Your Bin With Them

Another easy way to repurpose your plastic bags is to use them as bin liners – especially for bathroom or bedroom bins that tend to be smaller.

If you already use bin liners, then it’s a simple swap that avoids buying single-use bags. After all, you can line your bin with the bag and then tip the unrecyclable contents into your general waste bin, or into the bin bag of your main bin. It means you only need one bag for as long as it can be hygienically reused.

Keep A Car Rubbish Bag

If you’re prone to using your car as a litter bin, then it’s a good idea to pop two old plastic bags in your car door or glove compartment. This means that you can collect unrecyclable waste in one – such as snack wrappers, unrecyclable receipts, used car park tickets, or tissues – and recyclable waste in the other whilst you are on the go.

This can help stop litter building up in your car, and means you’re reusing something instead of buying anything new.

Stuff A Garden Cushion

If you’ve got lots of bags piling up under your sink, then you could consider turning them into stuffing. It may not produce the softest cushion – but it’s ideal if you want something that’s water-resistant – particularly if you a stuffing a cushion that’s going to be used on a garden bench or chair.

Use As A Rubber Glove Replacement

If you’re doing any particularly grimy or mucky cleaning or DIY jobs and have run out of rubber gloves, then there’s no need to dash to the shops. You can easily reuse a plastic bag as an emergency glove or cover for your hand. I’ve done this before, and while it’s not ideal, it’s certainly useful in a pinch.

Donate to Charity Shops or Markets

Finally, if you’ve got a large stash of carrier bags that you don’t think you can ever work through, then some charity shops and market stallholders are more than happy to take clean, reusable plastic bags off your hands to use for packaging purchases. If you’ve got a stash you won’t use, check locally to see who might benefit from them – it’s a great way to keep them in circulation without sending them to landfill.

Your Ideas

If you have any other ideas to reuse your old carrier bags then do let me know in the comments below!