by Mary Beth

Created on: August 07, 2009   Last Updated: August 08, 2009

There was a time when I was able to take empty feed bags back to the grain mill for recycling. For some reason this practice has stopped and I'm guessing it's because of the residue in bags from past grain use becoming toxic or a bio-hazard. Now what do I do? I hate throwing a perfectly good bag away. Yes, that grain bag had it's prescribed use of transporting grain to your tack room, but is that the end? Do I have to keep folding up new, clean feed bags to stuff inside each other to get them out of the tack room and into the trash bin? I've taken a turn. I've made a decision to make other uses for these perfectly good feed bags.

I don't stuff many bags into the dumpster anymore - at least not emtpy. Using the bags as trash containers in the tack room was an easy step to recycling. Unlike plastic trash bags, the paper sacks stand upright. I place them inside a tall bucket in the corner. I've also started taking these trash bags home for use as a tall kitchen trash bag. It fit's nicely in the plastic kitchen trash can. When almost full, I take a couple of pieces of duct tape to close the bag. I've saved some money by not needing to buy trash bags. Some of our friends laugh at our method, but then they say it is a good idea.

Other uses for the empty trash bag?

One covers the drinking fountain in our barn on especially dusty days when hay is being put into the loft. It keeps larger bits of hay out of the drinking fountain.

They are used to "sack" out our horses. Take two trash bags. Stuff each of them with two or three empty rolled up trash bags. Take the two filled trash bags and close each top by squeezing together and tightly tying a piece of twine around each. Tie the bags together so there is about five inches of twine holding the tops apart. We rub them and bump them gently all over our horses. We let them flop around the saddle horn and lunge our horses. They sure are great for calming horses.

I've even thought of giving the trash bags to artists so they could practice with the huge clean inside pieces of paper. I'm sure to come up with other uses in time. It's just a shame to see them go to waste.

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