Recycling and Storing Grocery Bags

Don’t mind me—I’m just saving the environment.

I wouldn’t call myself an environmentalist or anything, but I do believe in taking care of the environment that we live in by keeping it clean and not being wasteful.

If I were an environmentalist, I probably would opt for re-usable bags, which I do—when it’s convenient. It’s probably the better option, but unless I’m shopping at Aldi—I’m not always prepared for it with environmentally conscious reusable bags in hand.

So I do use plastic grocery bags. And when I get home and unload all of my groceries, I always keep the bags for reuse as kitchen garbage bags. A grocery bag fits perfectly within my under-sink garbage can and let’s face it—it’s a pretty inexpensive garbage bag!

I was storing the bags under the sink and it got cluttered and messy, taking up way too much room under the sink. I found a great idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a try—I love it!

You’ll need an empty coffee can. The one I used was made of cardboard. It was all I had in the house, and it’s actually working just fine!

Carefully cut a slot into the top of the lid, as shown below. Maybe yours won’t be as crooked as mine.

Next, remove the lid and stuff grocery sacks into the container one by one until the entire can if filled. They will squeeze in pretty tight, so really pack them down!

Put the lid back on and pull part of the top grocery bag through the slot. You’ll have a handy storage container for grocery sacks!

You can also recycle grocery bags by dropping them off at a designated receptacle. I know many of the grocery stores in my area offer this option. Some consignment stores accept grocery bag donations also. This is just an easy way you can prevent waste by recycling!