Recycle Craft: Make a Dog Leash from Braided Plastic Bags

Plastic products really aren't recyclable; they can't be melted down and used to make new bottles and containers . Instead, reclaimed plastics are usually molded in other products, such as picnic benches, composters, insulation board, seedling flats, and other many items which unfortunately can not be recycled again. (source: www.ecologycenter.org).

Since plastics are made from a non renewable natural resource ~ gas ~ the most energy conserving use of any plastic is for consumers to reuse the container in its present shape. Most refillable plastic containers can be reused on a average of 25 times; therefore, it makes perfect sense to find other uses for these containers around the house.

Materials needed

To make this recycled plastic dog leash, we used about 20 plastic bags that we had gathered up over the year. These bags weren't just grocery store bags, but non recycleable plastic bags that once held newspapers or had been used as shipping or hotel laundry bags.

Additional materials include a scissors, iron, and 2 sheets of used aluminum foil.

Instructions

The project begins at the ironing board. While the iron is preheating, cut the plastic bags apart, lengthwise. For extra thick bags, such as shipping bags, you may have to cut the bags in 6 inch widths.

Once the iron is hot, you can begin fusing the ends of the plastic bags together. Remember watching those old jail break movies where the criminals knotted sheets together to escape from a 10 story building? To make our rope, we'll be knotting plastic bags in the same way. Where ever the knots meet, we'll fuse the plastic together by gently melting it with the iron.

Since plastic can ruin an iron, the plastic should be sandwiched between two sheets of aluminum foil. Gently press the hot iron over the knot for a count of 2 seconds. Remove the iron, and peel the aluminum foil away from the fused bags. Continue fusing the bags from end to end until you have approximately an 8 foot section of plastic. Repeat to make two more 8 foot sections.

To create a loop for the leash, it's important that all 3 lengths of knotted plastic both begin and end with a loop handle.

Braiding the Leash