Waste Management – Chicago Muslims Green Team

Clean and used grocery plastic bag is not a waste and should not end up in the landfill. We can turn the bags into many useful and fun items, for examples: Welcome Mat, Sleeping Mat, a tote bag, a banner, even a dress to play costume or for other fun occasions.

Here is a very simple guide on how to start the project to upcycle plastic bags:

How to collect Plastic Bags

DO. NOT. PURCHASE. THEM. or collect them from restaurants or other stores.

In Chicago, we have to pay 7 cents to get plastic bags at grocery store. What a waste of money! Yes, we still can get plastic bags from restaurants, but that is NOT an eco-friendly way to collect plastic bags.

The best way to get them is from collection bins located in many grocery stores. Or, ask people to donate their plastic bags.

How to store plastic bags

If you end up collecting lots of plastic bags, save space by folding them into a triangle. This will not only save space but also keep your plastic bags clean and ready to be used for crafting purpose.

Step 1: Fold the end corner of plastic bag into triangle shape
Step 2: Fold it again
Step 3: Repeat it until the end
Step 4: At the end of it, fold the remaining part of the plastic into the pocket

How to create Plarn (plastic yarn)

To create the plastic yarn for crocheting, follow these simple steps:

Step 1:
Cut the plastic bags into 3 parts as shown (top, middle, bottom). Fold the middle part into two and folded it again. Cut it into 4 pieces with the same size. Keep the top and bottom parts to be used for the project or other purposes.

Step 2:
Open up all the 4 pieces to make 4 plarns, as shown in this picture.

Step 3:
Connect all the 4 plarns like shown in the picture. To make it clear, here we use different color of plarn.

Step 4:
After all plarns are connected, we are ready to crochet. For crocheting plarn, we use 19-20 mm hook.

How to crochet plarn for beginners

There are many videos on the internet on how to crochet plarn. This is one of them. It also explains from the beginning how to create plarn and provides many useful tips on crocheting plarn.

Green Mosque

A plastic recycle vending machine has been installed at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, located in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia (click here for the virtual tour of the mosque).

A plastic recycle vending machine in Istiqlal Mosque

As reported by VOI, the collected plastic bottle waste can be exchanged into Plasticpay Points through an app which can later be converted into electronic money that widely used in the city, such as DANA, OVO, Gopay, LinkAja, and INACASH.

According to Antara News, the Istiqlal Mosque recently became the first mosque in the world to receive an Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certificate, as a green place of worship, from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The certificate has been awarded to the mosque since the worship place has been renovated based on an environmentally friendly concept. It has increased the efficiency of water and energy usage of the building by applying energy-efficient roofs, outer walls, and lighting; installing smart energy meters; as well as using solar panels, which support more than 13 percent of the building’s electricity consumption.

Waste Bank

Another green news comes from Tanjung Burung Waste Bank – or “bank sampah” as they are called in Indonesian.

At the Waste Bank, customers deposit their household waste and receive money in their bank account based on the rates and weight of the waste. Customers separated the waste into two, inorganic and organic. Inorganic waste is recycled and turned into bricks. Organic one is processed into compost.