“One person’s trash is another’s treasure.” Weaving old milk bags into sleeping mats for people living in poverty may be one of the coolest examples of this. For several years now, my Step-Mom and Dad have been turning bags of milk into Bags of Awesome.

Crafty knitters and crocheters use the exterior bags (the ones that carry the three bags of milk) as their medium. The milk bags are cut into strips that are then woven into colourful mats. A 2 x 3 foot mat takes approximately 100 bags to complete. Community “matting groups” collect the bags from drop-off bins at grocery stores, churches and other local centres.

So what happens to these mats after they’re finished? Here’s my Step-Mom, Dianne, to explain:

“In three years time we have shipped 3,660 mats. These mats are sent to Haiti, Zimbabwe and El Salvador. We have just received word that some mats that were sent to South Africa two years ago are still being used. They are used to sit on in school rooms, to sleep on, for curtains, shower curtains, insulation and anything else they may need them for. Every time a shipment is sent it warms our hearts knowing that someone will have a mat to sleep on and it is thanks to us.”

Matting groups are springing up in communities everywhere as awareness for this creative way to make a difference grows. Love it.

Packing up the mats

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