An average woman has about a dozen purses already. This also means that they often have bags that are worn out, have broken hardware, or are simply too outdated to wear out in public. Therefore, many of us leave them out in our cupboards to collect dust.
However, there is something better that you can do with those purses than simply throwing them away as many are also sometimes attached to purses and the memories they had provided. So let’s have a look.
Now, purses can be a hard item to recycle if you don’t know what exactly to do, so here we have made a guide to help with recycling handbags.
Purses may be crafted from a huge style of substances inclusive of leather, cloth, plastic, and different artificial substances, or an aggregate of many items. While rare, handbags may be fabricated from snakeskin, crocodile, and different individual animal skins.
Purses are regularly embellished with buckles, zippers, and decorations fabricated from metal, rhinestones, crystals, or something else to lead them to an eye-catching accessory.
All of those substances will now no longer decompose in landfills. That way, antique handbags will take a seat down in them indefinitely. While handbags are small, in general, they soak up lots of space. That is why you ought to constantly recycle or reuse handbags if in any respect possible.
Purses cannot be put in your recycling bin or forwarded to a recycler. You can only recycle your purse if you purchase one that can be returned to the manufacturer. Timbuk2, which creates fashionable messenger bags, totes, fanny packs, backpacks, and diaper bags, is the only purse company I've seen with a take-back program (no purses per se, but you may choose to use one of these items as a purse).
To recycle your bag, print a form from Timbuk2's website, fill it out, and mail it to them. In Seattle, San Francisco, Venice Beach, Denver, Chicago, or Toronto, you can also drop off your bag at a Timbuk2 store. There is no charge for recycling; in fact, you can save 20% on a future Timbuk2 bag.
The main reason that most recycling centers encourage people not to put their recyclables in bags is that loose bags get jammed in the sorting equipment.
When the bags become stuck, the machine becomes jammed and stops working. The procedure is slowed as a result of this.
Loose bags caught in machinery can also cause damage to the machine, which can be costly to fix (especially if large parts need to be replaced). Both the recycling center and the city will lose money and time due to damaged equipment and the additional man-hours required to unclog a machine.
Another concern is that the bags must sometimes be physically opened and sorted, which adds to the expense of man-hours.
Even if you cannot recycle your purses, there are other ways to keep them out of landfills and incinerators. Getting them to a person or group that can reuse them is one of the better possibilities.
Good-condition purses can be given to thrift retailers for resale. Garage sales, consignment shops, and even eBay can be used to sell them.
If you have children (or nieces and nephews), they could enjoy dressing up in your old purses. Allow your children to decorate and play with your old purses. A hot glue gun and a needle and thread may provide hours of entertainment for children. They may have hours of fun decorating an old pocketbook in whatever way they like.
Cut up old handbags and recycle the hardware and fabric for various crafts. The cloth can be used as patches or components of a patchwork quilt, while the buckles, clips, snaps, and zippers will come in handy for future crafts.
Repurpose an old pocketbook to keep emergency supplies in your car. Handbags are a terrific way to keep the clutter out of your glove compartment and trunk organized. Put your spark plugs, fuses, and tools in an old handbag and store them in your trunk.
You could also fill a couple of small handbags with first-aid items and keep one in your car, inside your house, or anyplace else it might be useful in an emergency. Smaller first-aid materials, such as bandages and small scissors, can be stored in the pockets of old handbags, while larger ones, such as hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, can be stored in the larger parts.
Or, make use of older handbags as storage for needlework and other arts and crafts supplies. With a simple handbag, you will not only recycle an old purse, but you will also tidy your home.
If you have any reusable branded purses, consider giving them to a charity auction. Purse auctions, such as the American Red Cross's In the Bag event in McLean (VA), are a popular way for groups to generate funds. Look to see if anyone in your area is organizing one. When you find one, inquire whether they will accept old purses in good condition or only brand new purses.
If you know how to work with leather, you should be able to disassemble handbags and reuse them for various purposes. Belts and pet collars can be made from long straps. Smaller straps can be transformed into trendy bracelets or cuffs. The purse's body can be made into a wallet or a decorative piece.
Many purses are so adorable on their own that you can upcycle them in their current state. Put one in your mudroom or entryway to hold mail or the plastic bags you bring with you when you walk the dog. It can also be used to store hats, scarves, mittens, and reusable shopping bags in the hall closet.
Recycled purses come in a variety of styles. Some of the handbags can be made from common secondhand materials. If upcycling isn't your thing, you can buy others off the shelf.
Make purses out of old jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, soda can pull tabs, candy wrappers, pillowcases, towels, cloth or plastic feed sacks, and more with the help of Pinterest.
