How can I reuse or recycle plastic pockets with popper seals?
Estelle – of Monday’s shelf-lining foam query – had a second “how can I recycle…” question:
How to reuse/recycle these small, transparent plastic envelopes that airlines use to put the freebie eyemask and ear plugs in?
I presume they throw them away when used? I recently flew Air France and salvaged a few of them lying about before I disembarked. I expect they have infinite uses. But what are they?
I use them to store small things that would otherwise get lost in my clothing cupboard, like those detachable decorated bra straps, and ‘secret socks’ (undersize socks to wear inside ones shoes). They could be nice for storing bits of jewellery too, perhaps.
Funny that Estelle should use them for tidying her underwear drawer – I’ve got a few in mine as well since multi-pack knickers tend to come in a similar be-poppered bag. We’ve got another envelope like that in the kitchen, to hold take-away menus.
Other suggestions?
I love them and collect them every time I can. They are precious not only at home as you say, but mostly in bags to store make up, pills or bands for first aid. I put inside also travel kit of every kind. I collect also samples of shampoo and body lotions and so and put them in those little bags to have a w-e kit for the short trips. For a more creative idea if you have many you can put them all toghether with cords and pins to create a curtain putting inside each bag a photo, a card, little objects…
Could be used to store a wet bathing suit until you get home to hang it up to dry, or wet mittens in the winter.
Put different outfits for kids in them as you fold your laundry – that way they can just pick a bag and put their close on themselves.
Perhaps for storing batteries that need to be recycled.
As a travel bag for shampoo, lotion, face wash, etc? (Travel by car, bus or train, that is.)
I have one in the car that I keep my oily rags in, see-through so I know what’s in it and non-leakable so I don’t end up with oil all over the glove compartment
you could sew one of them on to your calendar. I think it’s great to have a pocket for papers on my calendar so that I don’t lose them.
Funny, I use them in my lingerie drawer, too! I’ve got all my tights and stockings folded up and stuffed into one of those envelopes. It keeps them from getting tangled up in the socks, and protects them from snagging on the drawer edges and stuff.
I’ve also got one with all of the random glues and adhesives in the DIY closet, and one full of loose pictures that should really be in an album. They might be good when packing a suitcase, too–like a packing cube, but recycled.
Some of them come with zip-lock tops, and I have been using one of those as my liquid carry-on container on the rare occasions that I fly somewhere. Perfect size but a lot more durable than an ordinary sandwich bag.
print off a sheet that just says TODAY at the top stick it in facing out the non poppered side and you can write on it with a wipeable marker so you can reuse it
If you have a damaged one/ one with a ripped side, a section of the plastic may make a good window in a homemade ipod /phone/ other piece of techie stuff protective case.
Bedsheet sets often come in larger versions of these poppered plastic pockets. I use pockets of assorted sizes to organise a stationery drawer with — make labels by writing on the blank side of business cards, stick the labels onto the upper right hand corner of pockets and use the pockets to sort and store used envelopes, once-used paper (white/coloured), cards and so forth.