The Clever Way An Old Laundry Detergent Bottle Can Fix Your Plastic Bag Storage Problem

If you're in the habit of saving your plastic bags for reuse, you may find it tricky to keep them contained in one area. Before you know it, you've amassed a big collection that occupies a lot of valuable space in your cabinet. Luckily, TikTok has come through with a clever solution to that problem. Not only will this handy gadget neatly store your plastic bags, but it will also help you reduce your environmental impact.

The best part is that you already have the only thing that you will need: a bottle of laundry detergent. By upcycling your empty jug, you can help divert this common household item from landfill, which is where around 70% of them end up. This storage solution will also make it easy to stockpile your plastic bags, which is one of the easiest ways to protect our planet from pollution.

This DIY device will only take a few minutes to put together and requires no tools — unless you want to showcase your creative side!

This DIY hack is a game-changer for your storage cabinet. TikTok user @dimajorlife demonstrates how to construct a makeshift holder for your plastic bags when your laundry detergent jug is empty.

Instead of throwing it into the recycling bin, rinse the bottle clean and remove the lid. Stuff a single plastic bag inside with the handle facing up. Grab another plastic bag, loop it through the handle, and insert the bag into the detergent bottle. Slide your third plastic bag through the handle of the second bag, and repeat the process until you run out of bags. Before you know it, all of your bags will be neatly chained together and tucked away in this clever container.

Once you've filled the dispenser with all of your loose bags, you can place the lid back on and close it up or leave it open for easy access. You can even decorate the bottle or coat it in plastic-friendly paint to give your new container some visual appeal. If you don't have an empty detergent bottle on hand, or if your bag collection is too big for one container to handle, you can also neatly store extra plastic bags with another common household item: an empty tissue box.

Most people hang onto their plastic shopping bags for convenience — you never know when you'll need one, so may as well save them just in case, right? However, what you may not realize is that this simple practice is also helping the planet in a very important way. Preserving your plastic bags is an easy way to make a big positive impact over time. According to a study by ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, plastic bags end up in landfills and can take over 1,000 years to break down. They also do not degrade fully, which means that tiny plastic particles end up contaminating the soil, oceans, and waterways. For these reasons, some argue that you should stop using plastic bags immediately. 

In 2018, National Geographic reported that the average shopper in the United States used almost one plastic bag per day. Reusable bags are certainly becoming more popular these days, but that growing collection on your shelf proves that plastic ones are still widely used. That's okay, if at least you are doing your part to keep them out of the trash. Either way, the next time you run out of laundry soap, you can finally say goodbye to that messy "bag full of bags" and set up your brand-new dispenser. You can continue to save these jugs too, as there are so many other genius ways to repurpose your empty laundry detergent bottle. Who knew recycling could be so fun?