Open Brainstorms
How can plastic grocery bags be creatively reduced, reused, or recycled?
These littering bags waste petroleum and aren't very biodegradable. How can they be minimized or utilized better? What are creative ways to reuse them? ALL CAN JOIN US HERE AT 4pm CST (21:00 GMT) ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10 TO BRAINSTORM THIS LIVE!
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Brainstorm Info
| Creator: | djeich |
|---|---|
| Created: | over 5 years ago |
| Activity: | about 1 month ago |
| Users: | 49 |
| Ideas: | 231 |
231.
Invest 5lakhs and get 50k everymonth legally, for more info mail your contact details to manohar_123@yahoo.com
230.
How about glass recycling?
229.
Plastic bags and all problems connected with them is not problem of plastic or plastic bags. That is problem of human /customer behavior. Local communities, counties or states have to establish system for collecting and recycling old plastic bags. Every store have to has (plastic) container (not so big) where will customers put in old and unusable plastic bags. Customers have to reuse plastic bags and on the end, as a last use, they have to use as bin liners. And on the end - RECYCLING!
228.
I cut them in strips, wound them in a ball and crochet bags and door mats out of them.
227.
Have manufactures print good, valuable coupons directly on the bags. Each bag could display a variety of product coupons over two, two week time periods. This idea instigates re-use of the bags for a one month time span, while also providing manufacturing companies with advertising. There is an opportunity for promotional events of featured products each month when the bags are printed.
226.
Use them to stuff Pillows or make a "bean Bag" chair out of them. Shredding them first would make the stuffing soft.
225.
A company called Venture Polymers UK Limited located in Warrington UK will recycle them - local authorites/waste management companies etc can contact them and they sort from there- 01925 661777
224.
give them to the army to put over the talibans head in the night when they sneak up on them, environmentally friendly murder :)
223.
Put a unique bar code onto all new plastic bags. These are scanned at the point of purchase. Each time a customer reuses their bags, they are given some minor discount (1% off), or they get some kind of recognition for recycling the bag.
222.
We need to find easy, visible, ubiquitous recycle mechanisms - like kiosks for the bags. For example, put them in malls. They can get coupons for merchandise at that mall. The mall retailers then pay for the kiosk. The more bags you put in, the more and better coupons you get. Could do the same thing at grocery stores. People need to believe they will actually be recycled.
221.
ask the comodity producers to pack their comodity in such a way that its easy to carry that ther is no need of a carry bag, just fix something to hold on everything even if its small, it can reduce the use of bags to an extent, use paper bags, use less microns in bags that they can be destroyed,create seperate disposal places for plastics that they can be collected for some other purposem may be recycllin if possible
220.
There is just one way to reduce it. Penalize the people who are carrying plastic bags. Its like shoot at sight order. Anyone found with a Plastic bag should be fined for around 500$. When people are put behind bars only then they would understand the importance of not using the plastic bags. It has to be the hard way, there is no other alternative. Governments have tried to give leverage to people but its not working at all. http://www.revolutioners.com
219.
use them to make rain coats... Suja----File Transfer
218.
use them as containers for items that are not always used such as x-mas decorations.......or we could use them as pots for plants....
217.
hold mass recycling days throughout the year for recycling plastic bags. Start with educational institutes and government agencies and work up all the way to the private sector and then families
216.
1.) Offer tax grants to supermarkets and shops who provide a certain amount of discount on most of their items if customers brought their own bags, be in plastic or otherwise.
215.
if you have a leak in your shoe put the plastic bag over your foot and then put your shoe on it makes a great water proof guard.
214.
use the old bags to create a "yarn" for crocheting reusable grocery bags! www.remodelinglibrary.com
213.
Reduced : Say NO / Ask Govt. to put ban / Ask Shopkeeper to provide alternate paper/cloth bags. Once u get one plastic bag , keep it in your car and start using that one for multiple purposes. Maintain a count of how many you have. Reused : I think Govt in India is using the junked plastic bags while making big freeways, they mix it with the tar and looks like it increases the grip. Recycled : ???
212.
pack them full with snow and build a fort
211.
use them instead of 'packing peanuts' when you're mailing a parcel www.intimateattitudes.com
210.
use them as a cap to cover hair treatments ie: clour treatments, hot oil treatment, lice treatment www.intimateattitudes.com
209.
Make wedding car flower decorations out of them www.intimateattitudes.com
208.
Use them to stuff into holes and cracks to block cold air...like around windows, plumbing or in a greenhouse to minimize drafts.
207.
Put all in another big bag and use it like a sofa... the design of the big bag its another idea..!
206.
make dresses out of the plastic bags (http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/images/SF_dump_art_program009.jpg and http://www.animadesigns.com/liveartbites_files/fusing-plastic-bags-ultimate-in_3.jpg)
205.
Design and make small household or office garbage cans that are a perfect fit for these grocery bags. Make them so they hold in place by the handles. Have a lid that covers the overhanging bag so you can't see them. Imagine reusing these for garbage bags so we do not have to buy garbage bags. We just throw away garbage bags, wy not use the plastic grocery bag as a garbage bag. Most everyone just throws them away anyway. ReUse or We Lose
204.
Combine them with other recycled products to make a wood-like product when compressed or glued and then use this to replace wood as a construction material(2x4's, particle boards, flooring, etc...). Then encourage companies and consumers who produce, use, or sell these products with tax incentives, grants, or free advertising! Imagine not destoying entire forests because we used something twice.
203.
firstly make them out of pot and smoke it afterward
202.
Get grocery stores to start clothe bag rental program
201.
Use at home and in animal shelters for lining litter boxes and disposing of animal waste products.
200.
we have a kitchen area rug or throw rug made out of bags. Bought at green store
199.
melt them down and turn this waste stream into a new raw material
198.
They make great kites if you have kids
197.
use them to make rain coats
196.
Allow grocery chains to repurchase the used bags at a lesser price than they would pay for new plastic bags. In order to make this feasible a large quantity of bags would be needed for re-sale. Schools can collect these bags from students. Proceeds can go back to classrooms or school funding. Same concept applies to large offices promoting a "go green" campaign
195.
Turn into bags for sandbags that can be used by local governments for citizens in case of flooding, etc.
194.
Start a program at schools across the world to teach kids and teenagers they need to recycle plastic stuff like plastic bags and other stuff that needs to be recycled. This would get people at a young age into the habit to recycle stuff.
193.
Collapse bags into cell phone sized pouch to easily bring to store. Really interesting MSNBC video report on paper vs. plastic: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23358591
192.
Use them as bird scarers
191.
the best thing to do is to urge supermarkets to make the bags in sizes so that it fits the small bins in each room like the one next to the study table. this will reduce cost of buying bin bags and also throwing rubbish every week.
190.
http://www.eon-econ.org/2007/manifold-benefits-of-using-plastic-to-make-roads/
189.
In Bangalore, India old/waste plastic bags are used to lay roads. Links: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/16/stories/2006081620460400.htm
188.
get one of those paper lamps from IKEA and glue lots of bags onto it. Looks amazing.
187.
Collect them and make a messenger bag!!! they are cool look at this tutorial, (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/08/making_messenger_bags_the.html)
186.
The BBC news site recently had a debate about this subject: Should shops do more to reduce packaging? http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3719&edition=1&ttl=20071024194047
185.
Use them as garbage bags - that's what I do at home.
184.
Shred them into tiny pieces so they can be used as fake snow in window displays
183.
Put them under sheets to make a bed uncomfortable for an unwelcome visitor
182.
recycle bags into crates then they can make the transportation of shopping easier and more economical.
181.
This was an amazing live brainstorm session! We achieved most all of this in only 1-2 hours....with most the first half hour. Now click on the "good idea" button on the right to start rating the best ideas!
180.
If you are feeling ill, place plastic loops around your ears and use the bag to catch anything that might not want to stay in your body.
179.
Burn them instead of coal at the powerplant.
178.
Promote the challenge "Name 100 uses for a plastic bag" as a standard creativity challenge in training and exercises. This way the people will be trying to solve the problem for years to come!
177.
Put your shampoo, toothpaste, and shaving cream in them when you travel so that when the baggage handlers bang up your bag, it doesnt leak onto your clothes.
176.
Select the best ideas from this brainstorm and publish them on the Global Ideas Bank to spread the message.
175.
Print the contents of this brainstorm on all plastic bags to suggest ideas for uses and to promote the green message
174.
Use them as planters for your houseplants - you could even use them for hanging plants using the handles.
173.
Melt them down and make them into crates.
172.
Put a can of soup in one, whirl it over your head, and see how far you can throw it. Challenge your friends!
171.
Turn them into a universal weighlifting set. Put a few bags inside each other and fill with a big of rice, cans or soup, etc. and do arm curls.
170.
Cut the bags into strips and hang from your window as blinds
169.
Make all grocery store packaging be able to fit into square crates so you can easily move them to your trunk and into home without bags
168.
(5 Google for information, inspiration, or ideas.) This Google image search (with search "plastic bags") produced this image: http://30gms.com/images/uploads/I_am_not_a_plastic_bad.jpg gives the idea: put advertising on plastic bags and use funds raised to concentrate on disposing of bags safely and spreading green message.
167.
Use them to wrap Christmas presents.
166.
Give a few of the bags to your sweetheart for Valentine's day.
165.
Create an environmental olympics where the main event involves creative ways to reuse these bags.
164.
Put one down your pants and walk around a bit to help you think of more ideas for this brainstorm.
163.
Put them under your sofa cushions to make it softer.
162.
Use them to make "summer snowmen."
161.
Colour all plastic bags green so that if they are dumped they are not such an eyesore
160.
What if we could seal oxygen or other gases into these plastic bags? Then when we need to use the gas, you can puncture the bag and put a "tap" pipe on it.
159.
Charge $0.05 for each of them at the checkout.
158.
Print flags on bags so that when the Olympics or World Cup is on you can attach them to your car and show your allegiance
157.
Tie them to your car's attenna as a decoration. Or the bumper. Or to the seat on your bike.
156.
Take photos of birds and animals trapped in discarded bags and show them in shops as a deterrent
155.
Put your laptop in them when it is in your backpack and it is raining so it doesn't get wet from the moisture that seeps through.
154.
Have huge signs outside shops telling people what to do with old plastic bags
153.
Save up all you get for a year and then put them in Darin's mailbox as a prank.
152.
Take them along when you go to the farmers' market and put your purchases in them.
151.
Make blankets out of them for homeless people.
150.
Why does a bag have to be bag shaped? Why not just have sheets of plastic that can be wrapped around the shopping? Then these sheets would have constructive uses - as garden covers or maybe shelters for the homeless.
149.
Melt enough down to be able to make huge blocks that can be used as seats in parks and bus shelters
148.
Have special and convenient parking spaces immediately outside shops: "only for customers who don't use plastic bags".
147.
Grind them up to make confetti.
146.
Make sculptures using plastic bags
145.
Encourage baggers to stop putting things with handles into them (e.g. gallons of milk, 6-packs, bottles of detergent).
144.
Wrap bags around apples on trees so that when the apples fall they are caught by the bag
143.
Shops could have a rule: only three bags per person. Or, they could weight your shopping and a chart shows how many bags the person is allowed
142.
Fill them with water and put them in your freezer to make huge ice cubes for your cooler.
141.
Put useful advice on plastic bags - maybe about safety in the home, first aid or safe driving etc
140.
Improve the ergonomic shape of products that would help people carry them just by hand, without the use of plastic bags.
139.
Put list of suggestions on every bag: "100 things to do with this plastic bag"
138.
Use it as gloves when working with grease and automobile parts
137.
I had a dog that ate one, and it went right through him without causing any abnormal stoppage or anything. Maybe we could eat them to help curb appetite and lose weight.
136.
Use it as gloves to do your dishes
135.
Put 1,000 of them in your shirt and pants and sumo wrestle one another!!!!!!!!
134.
make t-shirts out of plastic bags.
133.
Use them as condoms.
132.
Fill them with dirt and build levees out of them.
131.
Create camping tents from plastic
130.
Use it as a meditative tool. Slowly breathe in and out of it while focusing on something.
129.
Use them as idea bags. Every time you get an idea throw it into your bag.
128.
create a bicycle tire plastic bags that never get punctured.
127.
Grind them up and use them as stuffing for stuffed animals.
126.
Twist several bags together to form a "rope" and use as a chest expander
125.
Have a local company that can disinfect them in mass and then distribute to local sellers of food and other products for their packaging.
124.
Make all future bags clear plastic and clean so they can be used for food storage
123.
Inhale and exhale into them to build lung capacity
122.
Use them to take your lunch to school or work.
121.
Stuff them in the mouths of dirty mouthed little kids instead of washing them with soap.
120.
Create disposable gloves for doctors to use in hospitals
119.
Blow them up, tie them shut, then slam it between your hands to make a loud popping noise.
118.
Use plastic bags to make your shower cap!
117.
Attach little army men to them like they are parachutes and throw them from high places
116.
Get the space shuttle to dump bags in space
115.
gotta go, have seminar. last idea, product integratable plastic bags so that a number of them can be somehow used together for more serious purpose other than shopping grocery
114.
Put your feet in them before putting your socks on when you go sledding - keeps your feet dry!
113.
Compress them into bullets for the cops to use when shooting rioters
112.
Send bags beneath the earth's core so they are all melted and cannot pollute
111.
To reduce...start issuing quotas on how many plastic bags a store can give out to customers.
110.
train the store employee how to stuff things into as few bags as possible
109.
print interesting news on paper bags so people wannt paper more
108.
create sound proof rooms with plastic bags.
107.
print free papers, like badger herold on plastic bags, so people with take care of them
106.
organize clubs or organizations on campus to boost reduce plastic bags and reuse them
105.
Put at the bottom of lockers in lockerrooms so that the bottoms don't get sandy and salty from the shoes.
104.
Ask art galleries to arrange exhibitions that feature exhibits made only from plastic bags. Ask all the famous artists and sculpturers to make one exhibit each.
103.
Have special lectures or sessions in student organizations about plastic recycle
102.
Use to carry sweaty or wet clothes back from the gym
101.
Stuff in glasses when traveling so the glasses don't break
100.
Create an outdoor rug
99.
Give the country a project: collect millions of bags, melt them and use them to make a gigantic statue that celebrates the country's identity
98.
People who are just watching this brainstorm and have not added any ideas are encouraged to add ideas! My idea - Ask grocery stores to compile a list of ideas that shows benefits of using paper bags instead of plastic. Put this list everywhere in your shop
97.
lower the quality of plastic bags to make ppl frastrated with the plastic ones and turn to paper
96.
Every time you take a bottle for recycling you are asked to put it in a plastic bag
95.
Create tents out of plastic bags.
94.
What if we could use the plastic bags to protect the icebergs in the Arctic from melting? That would solve 2 of our problems.
93.
Give groups of students or engineers a plastic bag challenge, to creatively develop a way to make them useful
92.
Host the world's biggest plastic bag ball contest - make balls out of plastic bags...and auction them at the end for charity..
91.
Buy one of those cheap bag holders with holes in it from Ikea to organize your supply of bags for reuse.
90.
Use bags to cover plants when transporting them
89.
sudoku on plastic bags.
88.
add small collectors in car truncks specially for plastic bags for better bag collection
87.
Start getting Hip hop stars/rap artists talking singing about not wasting plastic bags.
86.
Melt bags and compress them into balls for children to play with
85.
Film American Beauty like clips of a bag gracefully blowing in the wind (bag as supporting actor!)
84.
Print games on the bags so that people will want to keep them
83.
Create a facebook group and create awareness to recycle plastic bage
82.
Print this on the plastic bag - "Please re-use me, dont throw me away when i'm still good"..or some other phrase that would urge ppl to re-use the bag.
81.
make high-end purses or other "bags" from the bags
80.
Don't know if this was said yet....weave the bags into - more bags! Use them for backpacks, reuseable grocery bags, etc.
79.
Put them over your shoes on a muddy day
78.
Have the local community provide you with an eco friendly bag to bring to stores when they give you your garbage/recycling program
77.
Give annual tax breaks for returning plastic bags to the government
76.
Devise machines that super-compress thousands of bags into a tiny space
75.
hold "plastic bag collection" competition, the kids who got more bags win
74.
Weave the bags into temporary belts that can be worn in a pinch
73.
enforce the adverticement of the negtive effect on the enviorment from using plastic bags and encourage ppl to use paper bags
72.
Use the bag as an imaginary pet
71.
Grocery bags that are not torn or are in decent condition could be returned to the grocery store for say 1 cent per each good bag/ store credit for a certain number of bags...its a win-win situation for both the grocery store, and the customer.
70.
Host a bag race to raise money for the earth, people race them.
69.
Pass a law so that when bags are purchased, a percentage of the money goes into researching how to make bags biodegradable
68.
Bags could be made into tires and later the tires into tires swings on playgrounds
67.
use the wasted bags on the roof of the building for water proof
66.
Start a company that takes the old bags, weaves them into bigger new bags, and brand them for grocery stores so they can sell them to their customers.
65.
Create a drop-box for plastic bags outside grocery stores where the bags are collected again, cleaned/sterilized and then people going into the store could take a clean bag with them when they go shopping.
64.
Give researchers at universities challenges on how to recycle the bags in new ways.
63.
Find out how many bags the average person will waste in a lifetime. Create a big pile of bags and photo them to enforce the message.
62.
Donate the bags and receive 10 cents each time you donate
61.
Bags could be used in cushioins, doll/toy stuffings....
60.
Compress the bags together and wind them tight to make a ball
59.
make the plastic bags much biger, so the number of bags needed drops and the total material needed drops
58.
We could collect all bags and simply give them back to the grocery store once a month.
57.
Turn the bags into a raincoat or poncho.
56.
create art out of plastic bags.
55.
What if you were to create matresses that were stuffed with old bags?
54.
Show YouTube videos of what happens in the "life of a grocery bag" that raises awareness of the harm these bags cause the earth.
53.
Create a new form of art using the different shades of plastic covering as a different color for a portrait for instance.
52.
shred the bags and use the pieces for thermal insulation for construction or sth
51.
Create new paintings using plastic bags of different colors.
50.
Create a delivery truck service that delivers groceries once you are done shopping, so you don't need bags.
49.
Give kids a one cent bounty for every littered bag they find and return.
48.
Treat the bags so they can be used for loft insulation
47.
Once a shopper uses and owns a bag they are then, by law, held responsible for that bag. They have to - if necessary - bury the bags in their own garden
46.
set a special trash can on stress for plastic bags only
45.
Chop up the bags to make artificial turf with them.
44.
We could stack up plastic bags one on top of another and compress them together to create solid plastic useful for moulding furniture or other plastic objects.
43.
If you are cooking at home put the bag on your head and use as a hairnet!
42.
What if we used churches to spread the message that throwing away plastic bags and not re-using them was a "sin" against the world.
41.
Give kids a bag to use as artwork canvas for an art class.
40.
Fill empty bags with helium and let them float away - not my problem anymore!
39.
Make a fruitfly trap with one of the bags, put a banana in the bottom and then quickly tie the bag to trap the flies.
38.
How about turning the bag into an interesting kite.
37.
We could create public artwork from just used grocery bags to raise awareness about the waste.
36.
Use bags to store things in your home
35.
Use the bags as disposable gloves, pick up gross things around the house with them.
34.
Convert shredded plastic into a decorative item for the outdoors, like fake grass.
33.
invest more in research in developing biodegradable plastic for the bags
32.
Keep a bag or two in your backpack to use to protect papers, etc. from water if it rains.
31.
keep the bags and use it when you go grocery shopping next time
30.
Put "dead" bags in the foundations of roads being made
29.
stop making the trash bags, and make all trash can to hold only shopping pags to encourage the reuse of these plastic grocery bags
28.
Stuff bags into a pillow case to make a pillow.
27.
Use them as re-inforcement to build water-proof walls and windows in buildings.
26.
Put "dead" bags in the foundations of buildings being built
25.
Use the bag as a bicycle seat cover for when it is raining (store it under the seat).
24.
encourage the manufacturers to make as many product as possible with easy handle features
23.
Actually take the old bags, weave them into a bigger new bag you can bring with to the store.
22.
Recycle your plastic bags as trash bags.
21.
How about burning them to create foul smell that drives away mosquitoes and bugs in any outdoor park area.
20.
give a dozen cloth bags to the store members, and set a rule that they have to use the cloth bags to get their member ship discount.
19.
Reuse the bags as decoration for halloween...the white ones are ghosts.
18.
We could connect many of these bags together and create a plastic rope.
17.
Use bags (or shredded bags) to fill wall cavities - for insulation etc.
16.
Do what Trader Joe's does, have a drawing if you bring in your own bag
15.
use paper bags, of course
14.
Create a collaboration with grocery stores to not use the bags at all.
13.
What if we turned the plastic bags into flat sheets of thin plastic that could be used to make rain jackets or disposable umbrellas.
12.
loan container/cart which are compatable in trunck, and cumstomer supposed to return them to store next time
11.
Just ban the bags in local cities altogether (like SF).
10.
offer loading service helping ppl load their stuff in the car with out the bags
9.
How about we shred the plastic bags into tiny pieces and use the shredded plastic as filler material for shipping and packaging.
8.
OK...we will start...let your ideas rain!
7.
After you’ve entered as many ideas as you will, you can click the “good idea†button next to some of the best that you’d like to highlight. (on the right side)
6.
No idea is a bad idea here...so risk anything!
5.
Google for information, inspiration, or ideas.
4.
If you see an idea from someone else that sparks a new idea, enter it.
3.
Get into your zone entering your own ideas, don’t worry about reading everything or duplication. Get your ideas out there.
2.
Try to enter as many ideas separately as possible.
1.
Welcome to this live brainstorm! Here are a few tips and guidelines