Reduce, reuse and recycle are often the mantras put forward by those trying to get you to look after the environment, however, whilst many aspects of the 3’Rs are correct, diving into the ‘reuse’ aspect of the method is one of the easiest ways that you can instantly start to reduce your personal impact on the environment.

 One thing many households are not in short supply of is paper bags, which are now being used by both supermarkets and clothing brands to offer greater convenience to customers. Here we guide you through some of the different ways that you can reuse old paper bags you may have laying around the home.

• Make some ‘DIY’ book covers to add an extra layer of protection

Despite much of our information being consumed digitally, research does suggest that many still prefer the feel of a paper or hardback book over an IPad for example. One of the ways that you can help to protect older books is through making a new paper bag cover for them. This is relatively easy to do in a few steps and can seriously help in reducing the number of paper bags that may be causing a clutter in your house.

• Use paper bags as a means of storing household items

One of the great things about paper bags is their versatility. If you get a strong one that is mid-range in terms of size, you will be able to fit a variety of different items in there. This can help you when you have a lot of loose items, perhaps in the kitchen or bathroom. Also, if you want to start composting the food waste you get through, paper bags make a great container as they can easily be transferred to an outside composting area.

• Create envelopes and parcels out of your old paper bags

Many find that for the rate that they send parcels and letters, it is simply not worth the investment to buy them in. Instead many, reuse old boxes and envelopes. This is already great for the environment, however, one of the ways that you could add to the number of items reused is by turning old paper bags into envelopes. This can be done surprisingly easily with a few clever folds and the right glue.

• Clean windows with old (but clean) paper bags

Our final solution for dealing with old paper bags is to use them as cleaning items. They are surprisingly good at cleaning windows once wet and do not leave streaks, unlike other cloths. However, this is not the most eco-friendly use you can find as the paper bag must be thrown away after you are done cleaning.

Try and reuse paper bags that have already been recycled

Whilst paper bags are a fantastic product, they can only be put through the recycling process a certain number of times. If this is the case with your bags, then you should make sure they are reused as much as possible. This will become more important in the future as more and more environmentally conscious paper bag suppliers make the switch to fully recycled paper bags.