Can you recycle chip bags? All things you need to know!

Oh! Talking of those chip bags?  Brings all the lovely memories of chipping into a bag of chips, with dips and all that is nice, seated opposite the TV watching the super ball game?  Yes, now that the super bowl game season is getting closer to watching.  You get out all those chip bags to enjoy with family and friends!!    But wait we are not going to talk about super bowls and crispy potato chips, but rather – how ‘can you recycle chip bags?’

Well, the simple truth is that chip bags cannot be recycled.  Why?  Because chip bags are not recyclable. And you cannot dump it into your recycling bin.  Much as you like eating all those chips and admiring the glossy shiny bag, it cannot be recycled because the bag is made out of aluminium laminated foil with polypropylene also known as metalized polypropylene, which is a low-density polyethene film.  So those delectable chip bags are a big contaminant sad to say.

The plastic in a chip bag is a burning hot plastic and a #1 pollutant.  Because it is made of shiny aluminium foil which is a mix of aluminium and a special kind of plastic mix.  This plastic-like aluminium foil cannot be recycled as it is unable to separate the plastic outer layer from the aluminium inner layer.

So what can we do with these chip bags, that keep accumulating in our sitting room, sports stadiums, playgrounds and in every nook and crevice and which cannot be resisted by anyone!

So what shall we do about these empty chip bags?

For starters, before you throw them away into the trash bin you can reuse them once more by doing the following:

1.  You can turn the bag inside out and use it for newly potted plants before       you transfer the plant into a pot or garden
2. You can use the chip bag  to cover open food containers when on picnics
3. Use it to store dirty oil rags in the boot of your car.
4. Use to wrap breakables when packing into boxes
5. Put dirty baby diapers into chip bags when disposing of them in public   places
6. Store your baseballs in large chip bags
7. Use then to collect berries from the garden and or other small kinds of vegetables
8. You can use it to carry your days fish in it
9. Make some pretty placemats with your potato bag
10. Use it as a trash bag in your vehicle
11. Make a couple of tote bags
12. Make a nice long chip bag Table cloth etc.to cover your kitchen table

Reuse and repurpose

If you use your imagination there are many do it yourself ideas and creativity at your fingertips.  You can also turn it inside out and use it to wrap small gift items, for birthdays and special occasions.   Make some chip shoulder bags.  They will really look pretty with their shiny colourful designs.

Or make some chip bag chains the ones we used to make with paper in school, you can do this with chip bags as well.   Make lots of shiny silver chains to dangle on the Christmas tree, save you from buying all the expensive silver tinsel garlands and so much more fun to make with the kids.

Make a chip bag mini scrapbook; these are great for giving gifts to your friends at school too.  Collect the bag and cut it down on the right-hand edge and wash it well with soap and water.  After that cut the bag, down to the size of the book.  Cut a piece of thick envelope paper which you get lost in the mail, glue this to the back of your book cover.  Trim the corners of your cover at an angle and fold over each edge and glue down.  Cut another piece of your chip bag to cover the hard envelope cover that was pasted to the back cover.  Fold this in half; now attach some papers inside of the cover.  There now, you have a nice little journal to write your first entry of the chip bag recycles!

More Details

If you have the thinner version of the chip bag in thin foil that comes in biscuit packets, chocolate bars, crackers and chips, these can be recycled.  Remember only the soft material and thin foils can be given for recycling, but not the heavier kind which comes in biscuit packaging.  You can make nice wall art hangings too with chip bags, like just turn inside out and cut shapes of flowers on the silver side of the foil attach a bead to the center and paste it on to cardstock, line sides with silver strips of chip bag foil and you are ready to hang up your first chip bag artwork on the wall.

Or else here is another tip for you, if you like to keep your chip bag foot print away from you, then simply buy some spuds and bake them in the microwave and then you don’t need to buy those endless chip bags!

Now go watch the Super bowl with your er… bag of chips!  And rout for the NY Rangers!