What the Little Plastic Bag Said to the Mama Plastic Bag

"When I grow up, I want to be upcycled into something both useful and attractive."

Mama said, "Don't get uppity. You're going to end up in the ocean like the rest of your family, and then you're going to choke a turtle to death."

But the Little Plastic Bag hoped and hoped with all his might. And one day ... he was turned into miraculous products like these ...

Sara sent me this picture of a bag crocheted from plastic bag "yarn", seen at the San Leandro Farmer's Market.

I love this idea! Handcrafted, upcycled, and sold at an alternative to the traditional marketplace. I have also seen rugs knitted from "yarn" that was made from old T-shirts.

But there are always larger market forces at work than the micro-versions at your local Farmer's Market, and one company that seems to be all over the place these days is Terracycle. They take waste and turn it into other stuff, like this pencil case made out of pretzel bags:

As fall approaches, and school supplies start popping up on the shelves of big box retailers, Terracycle's fun, upcycled binders, pens, pencils, and backpacks can be seen on the shelves next to High School Musical notebooks. To add to their charm, schools and individuals can make money collecting the waste that gets turned into their products.

And if you like your capitalism with a touch of old school revolution mixed in, check out their Eco-Capitalist Guidebook.