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Recycling-minded stitchers are hooked on 'plarn'

Cathy Kasdan of Cleveland works on a blue ensemble made from plastic bags. David Kasdan

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Like any good city resident, Kristin Leigh Jordan cleans up after her dog, Daisy. To help with that task, she recycles plastic grocery bags.

But after Earth Day this year, the New York resident thought of another way to use those masses of polyethylene. She creates skeins of plastic yarn (also known as "plarn"), which she then knits into sturdy, multicolored handbags.

Jordan, 34, received donations of bags from friends and family to start her adventures with this man-made textile. "I used to have mountains of plastic bags," she said. "I'm a bit of a neat freak, so it was a problem."

Jordan is not the only one who has found that a growing supply of plastic bags can become a nuisance. As local and international governments explore ways to reduce plastic-bag waste, the crafty and artsy alike have been transforming these pliant containers into creations that promote ecological awareness, make political statements or simply look stylish. MyRecycledBags.com, for instance, sells crocheted items and offers patterns for a variety of objects, including baby bibs, coasters, lunch sacks, totes and even a bag keeper for holding — what else? — plastic bags.

"There is so much you can do with those plastic bags," said crocheter Marlene Harelick, 68, of Fairlawn, N.J. Among her favorite creations is a bath mat she made from the blue plastic bags that her New York Times comes delivered in. She knotted the bags then crocheted the "thread" into the bath mat.

Those seeking guidance in the ways of the plastic bag can find it on several crafting Web sites, including Craftzine.com. One of Jordan's muses was the Knitty Gritty section on the Web site for the DIY (Do It Yourself) Network.

Turning the bags into a workable material is sometimes not a task for the impatient. Earlier this year, Cathy Kasdan, who was working toward a master's degree in textile design at Kent State University in Ohio, transformed more than 400 plastic grocery bags into workable yarn.

To do so, she snipped off the tops and bottoms of the bags and then spiral-cut each bag into strips about 1-1/2 inches wide all the way around. Using double-sided tape, she attached the spirals together. "Sometimes I tied the two ends in a knot," said Kasdan, 33. "But I liked the flatness of using tape for knitting."

With her plastic yarn, Kasdan created a 1950s housewife ensemble that included a white short-sleeve blouse and a wavy blue knee-length skirt. She accessorized with a red belt, pillbox hat and clutch.

Kasdan chose red, white and blue plastic bags as her medium because she wanted to incorporate the patriotism of post-World War II America into her clothing. In the 1950s, she said, the use of plastic moved from the war front to the home front. "I wanted to say, 'Here we go! Yay, America!'" Kasdan declared with a Midwestern twang.

"Plastic is a good material because there is so much of it that I had an unlimited supply," she added. "I could make 10 dresses."

Kasdan actually had prior experience working with plastic bags: She was a supermarket clerk in high school. "I'd be ringing people out, and I would think, 'Oh, my God, we go through tons and tons of bags,'" she said.

Plastic bags have been a mainstay of the consumer experience since they were introduced in 1977, according to the Progressive Bag Alliance, an industry group of plastic-bag manufacturers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States consumes about 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps a year. A plastic bag can take 1,000 years to decompose, according to the EPA.

Governments have been taking action to combat the waste of plastic bags. Several African countries, including Botswana, Eritrea and South Africa, have issued regulations against the use of plastic bags. So have some states in India. Ireland imposed a tax on plastic bags, and earlier this year San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags in large supermarkets and pharmacies. Several other cities in this country and abroad are considering bans.

"I think it's wonderful," said Shaun Muscolo, 49, of Simi Valley, Calif. "I think it's a matter of time before it happens nationally."

Muscolo is a designer for Haute Trash, which defines itself as "a troupe of resourceful artists who produce runway fashion shows featuring haute couture made from society's trash." Muscolo, along with artistic collaborator Judy Nielsen, has created a line of dresses that includes a wedding gown made from white plastic grocery bags and a shimmery black cocktail dress made from videotape.

"The dresses have tiny holes that act as air-conditioning," Muscolo said. "The models never complain."

Wearing the clothes is less important than sending a political and artistic message. "Haute Trash shows are all made out of garbage to show how much excess trash there is," Muscolo explained.

So when a friend of Muscolo's wanted to borrow the white wedding dress for her nuptials, Muscolo declined. "I mean, this is a joke," Muscolo said. "A person should have a real wedding dress with respect."

Muscolo did let a friend attend a party in a dress knit out of bags from the Nordstrom department store. Afterward, Muscolo hosed the dress down in her back yard, which is certainly cheaper than dry-cleaning it.

For others, the point is financial as well as political. Jordan, who works full-time as a lawyer, recently started Daisy's Bags, named after her dog, with the aim of creating an upscale accessories business. Her first bag sold for $75. Not a bad price for a polyethylene purse.

"I'm hoping the time is right with everything going green," Jordan said.