Used plastic is getting a new life through the Students for Environmental Impact Club on campus. Students are transforming discarded plastic bags into waterproof mats by creating plastic yarn and crocheting with it. The handmade mats are then sent to animal shelters.
“The idea that the bags are a plastic pollution problem is another way to repurpose the bags,” AP Environmental Science teacher Jamie Berendt said. “The bags are being converted into a mat into a project where it can be used for the homeless. It creates a barrier for the ground and it’s waterproof and insulated. It’s a good community service project to help but to also repurpose these plastic bags.”
In 2021, about 11.1 million tons of waste went into landfills across North Texas accounting for almost 30% of the state’s total waste. To add on, 85% of plastic goes into those landfills every day. For SEA club members, this project is one of many steps to potentially reduce this amount.
“The problem is recycled items don’t always go into the system of what they think we do,” Berendt said. “If it doesn’t fit into the system or if there aren’t enough people who buy thet recycled item or that raw product then it actually gets put right into a landfill. Taking out a little bit of bags out of the system allows for those to be rephrased into another system and that way it’s less likely it’s going to go into a landfill because it’s processed.”
The inspiration for this innovative idea was previously carried on from the older president of SEA Club.
“The former president’s main thing was that she saw a lot of people have plastic bags and they’re ensign up in landfills which we could repurpose,” SEA president Anuska Bhave said. “So, she went online and looked at crocheting tutorials and realized there was a way we could crochet plastic bags and realized we could implement them here. I’m just taking after her.”
From making the yarn out of plastic bags to crocheting it, it takes intricate steps to reach the final product.
“There’s several steps that go into making these bags,” Bhave said. “To make the yarn we have to put up the plastic bags and join them together and then we make them into bags. Then we crochet the plastic pieces together. The crocheting part is just basic crocheting with a single stitch all across the mat.”
The new purpose mats will be sent to local shelters for animals in need.
“They’re mainly intended to be donated to shelters across Dallas because they’re versatile and extremely good at trapping heat in the cold months,” SEA Officer Srilasya Kamma said. “They can also act as great blankets for puppies still being potty trained, which is great since they’re made out of the materials that could end up in landfills.”
Not only do these mats bring additional comfort for animals, but they also provide an opportunity to bring the members of SEA Club together, according to club member, junior Arpeet Nandi.
“I decided to start crocheting just so I could learn a new skill while helping to reduce the plastic waste in our environment,” Nandi said. “I didn’t know crocheting before and the process of learning how to crochet with everyone is a lot of fun.”
