Leafy
18 May 2026
The short answer
If you already have plastic bags at home, use them well before you worry about replacing them. Waste starts when useful things become clutter.
08:50I call it the drawer of rustling regret. Every kitchen has one.
08:52Use what exists. Buy less next time.
Eight sensible uses
Use them for muddy shoes, bathroom-bin liners, parcel padding, car rubbish, damp swim kit, pet-walk spares, charity-shop sorting and carrying leak-prone bottles.
09:00That is reuse. It is not a licence to collect a museum of bags under the sink.
09:05When they are worn out, follow your local recycling guidance. Plastic bags and wrapping often have separate routes from household kerbside recycling.
09:12Then reduce the pile
Once the old bags are used up, change the habit that keeps making new ones appear. That is the grown-up bit.
09:18For the kitchen caddy, use a liner matched to the job rather than a random old carrier bag. See our current range.
09:24