Reinventing the plastic bag clip

Thursday, 2 September 2010

One of the challenges of modern day living presents itself in the form of food substances that come in packets or bags. Once a bag has been opened we need to take measures to seal it again to keep the remaning food fresh and delicious!

This is especially important as all the best types of food snacks come in packets – nuts, cereal, dried fruit etc. Conventionally people make use of a clothes peg or specially manufactured plastic clip to perform the packet-sealing function. Another option is to use re-sealable zipper bags but these can be a bit expensive.

One of our readers sent in a brilliant idea which not only solves the fresh food problem but is also a great way to recycle old water bottles (if you are not opposed to buying those in the first place). In just 3 easy steps we present to you:

The idea

1. Cut the top of the bottle off, right at the neck.

2. Create a perfectly sealed system by sticking the top of the bag through the hole and replacing the lid.

3. Make sure you recycle the rest of the plastic bottle and enjoy your snacks, which are sure to stay fresh for a good while.

This is a great example of the kind of small things we can do in our own homes to make a difference. Remeber to submit your small ideas to the Small Things competition you could win a T-shirt from Mingo Lamberti and a book on going green!

Congratulations to our latest Small Things winners Patricia and Nimit – you will be notified over email soon!