3 Easy DIYs To Reduce Plastic Waste

Hello everyone. As you can probably tell from the title, it is Madalynn again. I know I haven't written in a while, and I am sorry for that. I have been very busy with work... and sleeping.
I've also been reading up a lot on more ways to reduce the amount of trash I put out into the world. As of 2014, it was estimated the average American was throwing out 185 pounds of plastic per year. It's just not necessary! But I am back today with three easy DIYs that will help you reduce plastic waste in your home and, as these are each reusable, ultimately save you money.

The first DIY on this list is the one I was most excited about.
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REUSABLE CLING WRAP

I have seen this one floating around for a while. It is a substitute for plastic wrap and it not only works, it is super cute and easy! I followed this tutorial from my Healthy Green Family. You can make them in different sizes and patterns (as shown above) to fit any items or containers you need to. I even covered half of a watermelon with one. It seals just as well as plastic wrap does, is water repellent, and you can reuse it many, many times. To wash it, simply use a mild soapy water to remove food.

Moving on to the next space in my life where I noticed waste- the car. 
I just recently bought my car and really wanted to buy an air freshener for it. The only problem is that most car fresheners will be thrown out and replaced many times over. Even the refillable ones use cartridges that are thrown out. Searching for a solution, I found some comments in a group I joined on Facebook that led me to this solution.

​REUSABLE CAR FRESHENER

For this DIY you will need felt, essential oils, a wooden clothespin, and I also used a needle and thread and a bit of glue.
Simply cut out the felt into your desired design ( I chose a flower) and attach it to the clothespin. Then take your choice of essential oil and put a few dots on the felt shape. When the smell wears out, simply reapply. You can even change the scent to follow the seasons if you wish. The clothespin clips onto the vent like this!

The final DIY will help tackle the biggest beast- plastic bags. I feel like plastic bags accumulate so quickly, I can't reuse them fast enough! They also rip easily, many items require double bagging, there are just a lot of problems with them. Reusable bags are not only more durable, they are often bigger and able to hold more AND some stores will give you a discount for bringing your own bags.
The ones I make come from old t-shirts I no longer wear.

REUSABLE T-SHIRT BAGS

Click on the photos below to see how I did this step by step.

Now turn the shirt right side out again. Trim off the sleeves and around the neck. Pull the fabric a little bit to disguise the cut edges. When finished it should look like this.

So there you have it. Three easy DIYs that will drastically help to reduce how much plastic waste your household produces, as well as save you money. If you have any questions or suggestions for future DIYs similar to this, feel free to put them in the comments! Enjoy!

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