The Amazing Uses for an Empty C & H Sugar Sack

Have you ever noticed how sturdy those C & H sugar sacks are? These paper bags are amazingly tough, almost like a triple strength paper bag. I used to toss those sugar sacks in the recycling bin until the day my teenaged son needed a disposable lunch sack for a field trip.

We packed his tuna sandwich, yogurt and fruit in an old C & H sugar bag, then rolled it closed and stapled it. Five hours later when my son opened the bag, the food was as cold as when we had packed it, even though the day had been in the mid 70s. All those layers of paper insulated the food and kept it cold far longer than an ordinary paper lunch sack.

Insulated sacks used to be quite common when I was a kid. Back in the old days, grocery box boys used to pack up 1/2 gallon cartons of ice cream in what was called an "ice cream" sack. These were triple strength paper sacks with a diagonal stripe on them. These bags were used just for for wrapping ice cream & other frozen treats. The extra layers of paper did a terrific job of keeping the ice cream from melting on the way home from the store.

C & H sugar bags are insulated much like those old ice cream bags. With it's triple strength and separate outer layer, it can keep food cold for several hours. What kind of uses can you find for an insulated paper bag?

In the summer, bring your C & H sugar bags to the grocery store for wrapping ice cream and frozen food. Even in 100 + degree temperatures, ice cream wrapped in a sugar bag will stay frozen solid long enough to make it home.

Headed for a picnic? Drop your refrigerated items in a sugar bag to keep them cool until it's time to eat. Sugar bags are also great disposable lunch sacks for field trips, day hikes and day camps. For my one child who was too embarrassed to be seen toting a C & H bag, I painted the exterior of the bag with some leftover spray paint.

Do you sprinkle your sidewalks with ice in the winter? Instead of dragging a 50# salt bag around, keep several pounds in the sugar bag and refill it as needed.

An empty sugar bag also makes a great shipping bag. Tear off the outer layer of advertising, drop the items inside the bag and then staple shut for a sturdy mailer.