5 Simple Ideas To Reuse Coffee Bags

Are you trying some eco-friendly ideas? Are you a crafty person? Are you considering ways to reuse coffee bags?

Projects to reuse coffee bags include seedling containers, Halloween costumes, book covers, or even make a brand new bag out of them. There are many simple ideas on how to reuse coffee bags. In addition, there are all kinds of DIY crafts and projects you can find on Pinterest. 

As time goes by, most of us think of ways to help the environment in any way we can. One positive of doing this is recycling. Since most people drink coffee, let’s see different ways to reuse this common product.

Are Coffee Bags Reusable?

Yes, they are. However, there are different types of coffee packaging: foil and mylar bags, and they are not the same. And there are plenty of things you can do if you reuse your coffee bags.

What Are Mylar-lined Coffee Bags? Can You Reuse Them?

Mylar is the strongest coffee bag available. It provides the most effective performance barrier from the air, moisture, mold, vapor, odor, and light intrusion when sealed with heat.

Mylar is, in fact, the brand name for a plastic sheet product, it is durable but thin, and DuPont makes it. 

Why Is It A Great Coffee Packaging For Projects?

Because of its durability, spray paints that are labeled for plastic use can paint this product. For smaller items, you can use Super Glue or spray adhesive to glue them to other surfaces. Another product that adheres well to Mylar is Duct tape. 

For projects, Duct tape will still look good when taped, and the best thing is that you can find it in several colors at your local hardware store if you want to add another touch to your crafts.

Once you start reusing Mylar coffee bags for your projects, you may get so hooked that you will need more bags. 

What Are Foil-lined Coffee Bags? Can You Recycle Them?

The “foil” coffee bags are a multilayered package, making them non-recyclable. The foil is fused to a thin layer of plastic. 

Combining different materials makes the end product impossible to recycle because the two components can’t be separated.

What Can You Do With Coffee Packaging?

You can dispose of it, recycle it or reuse it. If you opt to upcycle your coffee packaging, there are tons of crafts you can do. For example, you can make a vase or a planter of one coffee bag, or you can make a reusable tote bag if you have a few of them. 

5 Simple Ideas, Crafts, And DIYs To Reuse Coffee Bags

By using Mylar coffee bags and doing free craft projects, two problems are solved. First, you can gain a new creative escape, and second, you can simultaneously reuse non-biodegradable products.

Some of the benefits of doing projects with Mylar coffee bags are that they are easy enough for kids three years and older, and they are free. However, because Mylar bags could be a choking hazard, children under three years old should not handle these bags.

Let’s see some simple ideas to get the creativity going:

1. Doll Clothing And Jewelry

● For instant doll bracelets, make strips from coffee bags and glue them to cover empty cardboard paper towel tubes.

● To make a shiny skirt for Barbie, gather a coffee bag onto the bottom half of a strip of silver duct tape. Then, use a small beaded safety pin and fasten discreetly with it.

2. Book Covers 

Tape or glue several bags to a paper book cover for an instant book cover. It should last more than a plain paper cover.

3. Seedling Containers 

One great idea is to use them in place of plant pots. If you enjoy spending time in the garden and consider yourself to have a green thumb, how about reusing your used coffee bags for your seedlings?

Here is how to do it:

1. Perforate the coffee bag, making a few holes in the bottom of it.
2. Then, fill two-thirds of the coffee bag with potting soil. Next, plant your favorite seedlings. 
3. When the seedlings outgrow the coffee bags, they can cut the bags open for repotting.
4. Wash the coffee bags. Now you can use them for another craft.

Note: A standard 250g coffee bag holds almost the same amount of soil as a small to medium-sized plant pot. You can continue to reuse the coffee bag, even after your plants have grown enough to be planted in your garden, which will help you save some money.

4. Halloween Costumes

● Use Mylar coffee bags to make layers, glue them over worn-out sweatpants and t-shirts and create aliens. If you do this over cardboard shapes, you can make some realistic-looking robots. 

● You can also use Mylar sheets to cover toy guns. Then, paint the details with plastic paint.

Compared to aluminum foil, Mylar is much more durable.

5. Practical Ideas Using Mylar Coffee Bags

Some of the properties that make Mylar bags such a good choice for practical projects are their unique reflective feature and durability:

● Use Mylar coffee bags to wrap small gifts. For an added detail, you can even paint designs on the wrap. Or you can also cut strips to make some little bows to help decorate your packages.  

● You can search on Pinterest to find instructions on how to make a tote using coffee bags. You can change whatever type of coffee bag they mention with your Mylar bags.

● If you consider yourself ambitious, then you can try using Mylar bags to embellish a duct tape prom dress. Gather the Mylar edges and tape them to the shoulders; do it also at the waist if you want some cute ruffles.

● Another project that is not so much of a decorative craft is to reuse your Mylar coffee bags sensibly. It is to take several Mylar bags and tape them together to create a Mylar sleeping bag or blanket. When camping, you can also use the taped sheet underneath a sleeping bag to protect yourself from the cold ground. These could save lives. During the winter, you can keep one in your car and give a few of these out to homeless people. 

Other Ways To Reuse Coffee Bags

If you wish to help the environment by recycling, but you don’t want to do any crafts or DIYs, you can still get involved. There are companies out there that take care of that.

TerraCycle Recycling Program

Companies like TerraCycle handle all that. They have a Coffee Bag and Pod Recycling Program that you can send in your coffee bags or coffee pods, and they do the rest.

What Coffee Bags Can You Recycle With Them?

The program only accepts Don Francisco’s Coffee Family Reserve® bags, single-serve coffee pods and espresso capsules, Café La Llave®’s espresso capsules, and espresso-style single-serve coffee pods.

Note: Coffee bags and pods from other brands are not accepted through this program. They do have other programs in other countries where you can send any brand of coffee bags.

Best Methods For Recycling Your Coffee Bags

Ensure your coffee bags are empty before placing them in the collection box. In addition, if you decide to rinse your coffee bag before sending it in, be advised that it should be completely dry before shipping. Dripping packages cannot be shipped.

What Happens To Your Coffee Bag’s Recyclables?

Once the coffee bags are collected, the package is then cleaned and melted into hard plastic. That plastic can be molded to create new recycled products.

Rewards Program

With this program, you can make shipments of any weight to earn points. For each pound, the program will award you 100 points.

You can redeem your TerraCycle points for different charitable gifts. You can also redeem them for a $0.01 payment for each point to the school or non-profit organization of your choice. 

In the case of coffee pods, each you send in will earn you approximately 2.4 TerraCycle points. They will count these points based on the average unit weight of 0.024 pounds.

Conclusion

You can use Mylar coffee bags for many free craft projects. Once you choose your favorite ideas, you can start trying them.

For sure, you will start to think of ideas once you see Mylar’s durability and reflective properties.