Reddit Is Loving An Ingenious Way Of Recycling Trader Joe's Bags

Some people waste no time telling you which Trader Joe's foods you need to try before you die, what they think is the best Trader Joe's frozen meal, or about their disbelief toward how far $200 goes at Trader Joe's. Others, however, are content to sit back and recycle their Trader Joe's bags in various creative ways.

Trader Joe's swapped out its plastic grocery bags for brown paper bags in 2018. According to Taste of Home, these can be either composted or recycled. While this is already a good step up, some Trader Joe's shoppers are taking it even further with their recycling and upcycling.

The grocery chain has actually started selling reusable tote bags, which still aren't as environmentally friendly as you think, but if you're going to use the traditional brown paper bags, the internet is full of ideas for reusing them. Reddit in particular shares a crafty method of getting extra use out of these bags. 

One of the main ways people are reusing Trader Joe's brown paper bags is by using them to wrap gifts. According to one Reddit thread, these bags come "in clutch for gift wrapping," and many Redditors agreed. Others noted that they especially like to use the holiday-themed bags for gifts.

Similarly, other creative shoppers created an easy hack that turns Trader Joe's bags into adorable gift bags. Vintage-loving blog Adirondack Girl at Heart upcycled the bags into the most charming little gift tags. An Instagram user even used a brown paper bag to wrap a bouquet of flowers in an aesthetically pleasing way.

But if you want to take your reusing or upcycling to yet another level, you definitely can. DIY website Hometalk details how to cut and fold a Trader Joe's bag into a stunning pendant lampshade. Other crafts include homemade book covers, woven baskets, placemats, paper bag roses, holiday wreaths, and even kites (via An Open Home by Meredith Amand). The possibilities are truly endless.