Creative Re-Use Ideas #5—Mesh Produce Bags

by Lee Ann Hopkins July 29, 2019

I told my wife a couple of months ago, “Please, please no more avocados from Trader Joe’s until I can figure out how to reuse those horrendous plastic mesh bags. Unsuspecting marine life is tortured by these products.”  She stopped buying me avocados, except when she found decent ones sold as singles. 

I finally figured out some re-use options for these mesh bags. 

Here are some things you can do with these mesh bags to put them to good use before disposing of them properly: 

1. Use them to tie up “leggy” flowers and vegetables in the garden. I’ve used them to tie up tomato plants that were falling over. I simply make strips from the mesh bag and tie the plant to a stake or tomato cage.  I do the same thing with our gladiolas. 

2. Wad the mesh bags up into scrubbers for those cooking pans that have caked-on messes. They are like a plastic version of a Brillo Pad. In fact, I think they have these plastic versions in stores as well. Now, you have your own DIY version! 

3. Cut off the tops and re-use as vegetable bags at the grocery store instead of those plastic or soy bags for produce. 

4. Someone told me that these bags are good for yarn holders. Just insert your yarn ball in the bag. “Close” the top and thread your yarn through the holes so that the yarn doesn’t tangle while knitting or crocheting. (I don’t knit or crochet, so I can’t vouch for this idea! Do-Gooders, let me know if this really works!) 

5. Strips made from these bags can be used as “lacey” bows for packaging. 

6. Use the bags to contain “unruly” things in the bathtub for the kids—all those small boats and floaty things that need to be dried after bathing. Affix a small hanger in the bath and place the wet toys in there for storage and drying! 

What are your ideas and suggestions?  Email us at blog@dogoodsoapsandsuds.com and we’ll share with everyone. 

I’m still not sure if I’ll go back to getting avocados and lemons at Trader Joe’s because I really want to STOP buying anything plastic…BUT, at least, I have something I can do with those mesh produce bags that I’ve got under the sink that I’ve been saving as I’ve been trying to figure out how to re-use them. 

Please share this post with others. Tag your friends and get them on board with Do Good Soaps and Suds’ mission “to save the planet from plastic, one soap, one lotion, one balm, one bar at a time!”

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