Today is North Texas Giving Day! And since Norwex Movement is headquartered in the very heart of North Texas, today we share how our own Lori Barnes, Consultant Accounts Receivable Supervisor (and Movement member!), gives from her heart by finding an inspiring new purpose for those pesky plastic bags that everyone seems to have way too many of.
Plarn: Plastic with a Purpose
Just how many bags does it take to make enough plastic yarn (plarn) for one mat?
Depending on the size of the mat, about 600 to 700 bags.
How long does it take to weave a mat on the loom?
Once the plarn is made, Lori estimates it takes her and her friend about 35 hours to weave a 3’ x 6’ mat on her loom.
Besides keeping plastic out of landfills and waterways, what other benefits do plastic sleeping mats offer?
They’re more hygienic, waterproof, lightweight so they’re easily transportable, and they provide protection from cold surfaces.
Where can I learn how to do this?
You can find easy how-tos for making plarn online. Once you have your plarn, you can weave, crochet or knit it into all kinds of useful things!
What activities do you enjoy that involve giving back in some way? Have you ever repurposed an item into something that benefits someone else? We’d love to hear your story! Please leave us a comment below. Resources:
I love this!! What an awesome way to give back and help out the environment!! What a wonderful heart she has.
Thanks Stacy! We couldn’t agree more!
Way to give back Lori!! Excellent idea! I’ve seen other patterns for plarn, like shopping totes, handbags and rugs, but sleeping mats are a great idea!! Thank you for sharing!!
What an amazing project!!! Way to go!!
I’ve made sleeping mats for camping.
My mom is a big knitter and she has tried to teach me. I really would love to see this in person!
That is SOOOOO cool!!! Thanks for sharing! <3
I am in awe at the patience taken to do this. Since we ve had a 5p charge in Scotland if you need a plastic bag I ve been reusing the bags religiously. Lovely to see such an effective creative way to make something so practical.
600 – 700 plastic bags? how do you end up with that much excess? The impetus to reuse it is laudable but the lack of attention to refusing and reducing that got you such a quantity in the first place is disappointing.
These “solutions” worry me because this creative refashioning into only marginally less unwanted objects doesn’t do anything to address the real problem of why we’re ending up with so much single use plastic we don’t want in the first place.
Thanks for your comment, KB. Actually Lori received donations of the plastic bags from coworkers, who brought them in from home. While these mats are not meant to solve the problem of too much plastic, it is one small way to prevent the plastic from going to a landfill and provides someone in need a soft place to lie down on.