You accumulate grocery sacks without even trying, but what do you do with them once they are in your possession? You might be someone who regularly brings their own shopping bags to the grocery store and doesn’t use one-time plastic grocery bags. However, even the most conscientious shopper may find that they wind up with several grocery bags over time that they want to store for reuse. Plastic grocery sacks can be recycled at a recycling center, but you can also reuse them at home.
What You Will Need to Follow this Tutorial
- Tissue Box
- Shoe Box
- Metal or plastic hanging basket for your cabinet
- An empty and clean wipes container
- Plastic or cardboard filing box
- Jar
- Grocery sacks to store
Depending on which organization tip you want to follow, you’ll need at least one of the above types of containers. In one of the tips, you won’t need anything but a single grocery sack. While my personal favorite types of storage for plastic bags is a plastic filing box or shoebox because I have a lot of plastic bags and am lazy as far as preparing my grocery bags for storage, any of these will work.
As you decide which type of organization method you want to use, consider the amount and type of storage space you have, and the time you’re willing to devote to utilizing the system consistently.
Additionally, make sure that each grocery sack that you store is free of food debris and is cleaned out. You don’t want food rotting in one in your storage container that will start to make your home smell bad or that will contaminate whatever you put in it later on.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1.) Prepare Your Bags for Storage.
You have several options for storing your grocery bags. Which one you choose to use will depend on the amount of time you have and your level of patience. One of the easiest ways to prepare your bags for storage is to simply stuff them into the container that you will use to store them. While this is the method that works best for me, it may not be to your liking.
So you can also fold each grocery sack in half long-ways, and then tie a simple overhand knot in it. This significantly cuts down on the amount of space you have to give up for storing your bags. You can then just reach into your container, grab a bag, and untie the knot. This is an advantage over my preferred stuffing method because it doesn’t create the situation in which bags spill out of the container every time you reach in for one. That, alone, could be worth the extra time and effort it takes to fold the bags.
Additionally, you can fold the bags into very small triangles. You do this by folding the bags in half long-ways as in the previous method, and then folding up from the bottom corner to the opposite corner in the shape of a triangle repeatedly until you reach the handles of the grocery bag. This forms a tight triangle that is simple to store, and it takes up a lot less space. This is not as much a chore as it is a craft, and it is something that you might do every once in a while to keep your bags neat and organized. This works especially well if you don’t regularly have 20 bags from the grocery store every week to organize.
2.) Use a Tissue Box.
One of the easiest ways to store grocery bags is with an empty tissue box. You can reuse your tissue box by simply stuffing your plastic bags into it. You can also use the other storing methods of tying a knot in each bag or folding them into triangles. You can fit dozens of bags into a simple tissue box. Store the tissue box in a deep drawer or a cabinet within easy reach in the kitchen, pantry, or maybe a shelf in the laundry room. You can reuse the tissue box repeatedly, and you don’t have to go out and buy any special container for the storage of your grocery bags.
3.) Use a Wipes Box.
If you have small children, you likely have a wipes box lying around somewhere. If you use disinfecting wipes to clean your home, a cylindrical wipes box will also work. Simply place your grocery sacks into the container, and pull one up as you need it. These are also great containers to easily grab bags that you have tied in knots from because they store well vertically or lying down horizontally in containers like these. You may have an easier time getting them out when they are stored like this than you would out of a tissue box.
4.) Use a Plastic or Cardboard Filing Box.
With a plastic or cardboard filing box, you can store many more plastic bags than you can with any of the previous methods. This creates an easy way for you to grab the bags that you need under your sink, for example. If you reuse your grocery sacks regularly for small wastebasket bags, then this could be an ideal storage solution. The filing box can easily fit into a deep cabinet in the kitchen or in a closet as well.
5.) Use a Jar.
When you finish making spaghetti or eating your favorite kind of sauerkraut, don’t just recycle or throw away the jar. You can use it to neatly contain your grocery sacks. This type of container makes it easy to see how many bags you actually have left because they are usually clear, and you can easily store tied bags in it as well. You don’t have to use a glass jar. A plastic one will work fine, and it can make your home safer in case the jar falls to the ground. You’ll avoid shattered glass that way. Choose a jar with a wide mouth for easy access to your bags. You can fit many bags into a jar, and they look neat on the counter if you don’t have any storage space in your cabinets or pantry.
6.) Put the Bags in Another Bag.
Although this isn’t the neatest option in the world, it is certainly easy to use and definitely clears space in your cabinets or closets for storing other items. It tidies up your falling mess of bags by keeping them all in one place. Instead of putting the bags into another form of container, simply reuse one of your grocery bags for storing them. This method is quick and easy, but the drawback is that it can become a bit cumbersome as it can easily get out of hand if you just keep stuffing grocery sacks into more than one bag. You have to limit yourself to one grocery sack to use for storage. With the other types of containers, you’re less likely to use more than one container because they are harder to come by, and it requires more work to get one.
7.) Put the Container into a Wire or Plastic Hanging Basket.
One way to easily reach all of your plastic bags is to place whatever container you choose to use, particularly the small ones, in a wire or plastic basket that hangs over the door of your cabinet. This makes it fast for you to get the bag you need. Look for these baskets in the home goods section of your favorite store. You can also find them easily online. These baskets make excellent organizational tools to keep your plastic bags and the containers you store them in within easy reach and to help keep your home neat. Simply open the door, and grab what you need.
With this wide variety of methods for saving your grocery sacks, you’ll find your kitchen, pantry, closet, laundry room, or other storage space neater and less cluttered. Any of these methods is better than having a shelf where you just put your grocery bags willy-nilly. You want to use the method and storage container that fits your lifestyle and the number of grocery bags that you accumulate. You’ll be more likely to reuse them when you can easily find and access them. Additionally, you’ll create quite a lot of space in your home for storage of other items and materials. Which method will work best for you? Share what you think in the comments, and send the article to your friends and family if you think they could benefit from these storage ideas as well!
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