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REUSABLE BAGS

Friends of Reusable Bags/Greening Greenfield’s goal is to help citizens make the transition from single-use plastic bags to reusable bags. Greenfield’s plastic bag ban began January 16, 2020, and after a Covid-induced pause, is back in effect. Click for the ordinance enforced by the Greenfield Health Department. We have organized efforts to collect, make, and donate a variety of reusable bags from existing materials such as scrap fabric, t-shirts, feed bags and malt bags.  You are welcome to use the information we provide here to get involved by making bags on your own (See “Bags you can make” below for instructions), joining us at one of our bag-making workshops, donating bags, and using reusable bags. Don’t be fooled by marketing campaigns!  Changing from plastic bags to paper bags is not the answer.

Bagmaking

Not using disposable plastic is only the beginning. What should we use instead? Paper is compostable and recyclable. But the lifecycle environmental footprint of a paper grocery bag is worse than that of a plastic bag, if one looks at the fossil fuel used in everything from harvesting the trees through transporting the bulky paper. In fact, as we looked at water usage for organic cotton, or thicker plastics intended for multiple re-use, Friends of Reusable Bags concluded that while reuse is critical, the best material from which to make reusable bags, is any material that already exists.

We therefore hold and sponsor bag-making workshops using a variety of existing materials. Bags can be sewn, cut and tied from t-shirts, or fastened with grommets. We have purchased grommet machines to lend out and hope to work with organizations that can make bag-making a regular endeavor. This project is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

All patterns here are free to be used and shared. Some can be made at home!


HERE IS A 10-MINUTE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE’VE DONE, FROM A PRESENTATION THAT PEG HALL DID WITH MASSDEP ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND OUR REUSE GRANT AT THE (VIRTUAL) MINNESOTA REUSE CONFERENCE, VISION FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY, IN JULY 2020.

Bags You Can Make

  • Sewn t-shirt, with and without box bottom

  • Box-bottomed, sewn t-shirt

  • Grommeted feed and grain/malt bags

  • Grommeted malt bag

  • Tied t-shirt bag (with and without fringe)

  • Sewn, lined patterned bag