Somerset County 4-H Clover Ensemble Club Helps Upcycle Plastic Bags into Sleeping Mats
SOMERSET COUNTY 4-H Clover Ensemble Club Helps Upcycle Plastic Bags Into Sleeping Mats
Written by Kristine Manganelli-Rappaport (4-H Program Coordinator)
The saying “many hands make light work” was brought to life by the Clover Ensemble as they donated part of their club meetings to community service. The members helped flatten and sort plastic bags that are then transformed into sleeping mats.
Completing these tasks are the first steps to preparing the bags before they are cut into strips and crocheted into sleeping mats for local homeless folks. Devoting just ten minutes to flattening and sorting bags for three meetings added up to 200 bags per meeting for a total of 800 plastic bags! It takes approximately 500-700 plastic bags to create just one mat, so every bit of help contributes to the overall outcome. The crocheting is completed by volunteers from Matthew 25 Ministries based at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Somerville, New Jersey.
Their mission is to create soft sleeping mats that provide homeless people comfort and relief from the outside elements. The mats are thick and soft, waterproof and bug proof, and create a layer of insulation between a person and the ground.
Sleeping mat crocheted from plastic bags
This initiative not only improves the lives of the less fortunate but has a second benefit of reusing single-use plastic bags. It keeps them out of landfills and oceans where they cause massive harm to marine life and even human health. This year alone, five trillion plastic bags will be used, adding up to 160,000 every second. These shocking statistics make clear the need for the plastic bag ban that will be enacted here in New Jersey on May 4 of this year.
This truly makes a difference for the volunteers at with Matthew 25, as well as those that find themselves in need of a place to sleep. If you or your club would like to get involved with this ongoing community service project, please contact Clover Ensemble leader Ellen Parker at:
Donate your plastic bags to the cause!