Plarn -- A Creative Way to Recycle

By Kenzie Hopper | May 3 2021 |

As Canadians, we are responsible for throwing away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. Out of these 3 million tonnes, only 9% is recycled with the vast majority ending up in landfills or the natural environment. As a result of this, single-use plastics make up most of the plastic litter found in our freshwater environments. In fact, approximately 15 billion plastic bags are used every year in Canada, and, due to our throwaway culture that values convenience and affordability over duration and quality, this number is only going to increase unless active measures are taken to combat our plastic use.

So why are plastics bad?

First off, plastics left alone in the environment don’t break down like other substances. The sun and heat will eventually turn plastics into small pieces, known as microplastics, over long periods of time. These microplastics are very hard to detect and exposure to them can be detrimental to human health, causing hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems, and even cancer.

The dangers presented to humans by plastics are incomparable to the horrific threats they inflict upon the natural habitats and ecosystems of animals. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the ways plastic straws affect turtles, but the plastic problem goes way beyond this. Scientists estimate that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

Among many other devastating implications of this litter, our plastic usage also harms developing communities. Oftentimes plastics from high-income countries are exported to developing countries to process. These high-income countries export way more plastic than the recipients can handle and they become overwhelmed and are unable to dispose of it properly. The worst of the effects plastics have are then pushed onto overburdened communities with limited resources to defend themselves.

The most effective way of avoiding this waste and repercussions is to reduce our plastic use. A great way of doing this is to carry reusable plastics: reusable grocery bags, water bottles, straws, etc. My family has been carrying recyclable bags to the grocery store for a couple years now, but we sometimes forget to bring them; when this happens, it’s nice to have a good way of recycling them.

Plarn (aka plastic yarn) is a way of making yarn from plastic shopping bags; it’s a very easy process that recycles plastic and can save you money on yarn. Plarn can be used in any pattern that calls for yarn! All you need are scissors and plastic bags.

1.) Lay the plastic bag out flat:

Cut off the bottom seam and the handles:

2.) Cut the bag into strips, about 1” wide:

3.) To join the strips, open them wide into loops. Grab two loops and lay the end of one over the end of the other. From the top, pull the left loop to the right; from the bottom pull the right loop to the left. Pull tight without stretching or distorting the plastic.

4.) Keep adding strands into this method; rolling into a ball as you go!

Sources

Images and instructions retrieved from: https://www.craftsy.com/post/how-to-make-plarn/

Statistics and facts retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2020/10/canada-one-step-closer-to-zero-plastic-waste-by-2030.html

And

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101