Every time you go to a store you receive plastic bags. Every time you buy bread you end up with a plastic bag. Over the run of a year it is amazing how many plastic bags you can end up with! Below are some suggestions for recycling and reusing these bags:

- Another way to use up those plastic grocery bags is to use them as paint-tray liners when you're redecorating indoors. No need to buy the expensive liners---this way you just use & toss it out when you're done painting. Gone are the days of messy cleanups!

- If we are going to the store for only a few items, we take along a cloth or canvas bag, thereby reducing the need for plastic grocery bags.

- Many grocery stores in our area have bins for you to put your bags in so they can be recycled. We take our bags and put them in the recycle bin.

- For small garbage tins, rather than buying garbage bags we use the plastic grocery bags to line our smaller garbage tins.

- We have made our dog, Sheema, a pillow to lay on, we used the plastic grocery bags to stuff the pillow, makes a great cushion for her!

- We make our own bread and rolls, so we save the store bought bread bags and use them to put our bread and rolls in...much cheaper than buying bags!

- We always keep plastic grocery bags in our trunk. They are handy for wet clothes when we go to the ocean and also are great to have if Sheema (our dog) decides to use someone else's property to do her thing, make a great glove for picking up you know what!

- When we travel, we always have plastic grocery bags with us to put our dirty clothes in.

- When mailing gifts, we use the plastic grocery bags as stuffing around the gift, helps prevent damage to the gift.

- Over the past year we did a lot of renovations to our home. When painting, we would wrap our paint brush in a plastic grocery bag. The next day when we were ready to continue painting, the brush would be soft and ready to use.

- The library is always looking for plastic bags. We always take some with us to carry our books. What we don't use we leave there for others to use.

About the Author:

Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of A Simple Life - A journey to a simple life, and, a frugal lifestyle. http://www.stresslesscountry.com