Crafty recycling

GENOA, Ohio - A Genoa woman is going green with a unique way to recycle plastic grocery bags. She is turning used bags she gets from stores in to tote bags.

 "It is a good way to use up bags we just don't know what to do with,” said Lupe Garcia. “You see them along the highways, in people’s yards, you see them just lying around and it is a good way to use them up."

 Garcia says she has been crocheting since she was a child. Now she crochets strips of plastic from grocery bags she collects into tote bags. She admits the idea is not ad original. She borrowed the idea after watching a documentary on the efforts of woman in third world countries to make money.

 "They would go around picking up grocery bags from wherever they could find them. And they would have the kids cut them in to strips, then crochet them and they would take the bags they make and sell them at the market for income,” said Garcia. “I thought it was a good idea to use up the bag we have here." 

Each bag takes her two to three days to cut and then crochet. And each one requires 25 to 30 plastic bags.

Lupe says she has no plans to make a business out of making recycled bags. So far she has given most of her creations away to family members. However, anyone interested in one can e-mail Danielle.Garcia7@gmail.com.