Recycling Milk Bags into Bed Mats for Haiti 2010

 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

Bed mats sent from Ottawa in Nov 2010 = 22

Bed mats sent from Ottawa in Dec 2010 = 25 so far

 

Upcoming Workshops - Everyone Welcome

 

Sat January 8, 2011  9:30am - 11:30am  in Aylmer United Church, 164 Rue Principale, Gatineau (Aylmer Sector)

 

Tues January 11, 2011  7:30pm Rideau Park United Church (Alta Vista)

 

Sat January 15, 2011 at 10am at Foy Hall on Princess St in Lanark 

 

Tues January 18?  Gloucester (date and details will be finalized soon)

 

Jan or Feb Kanata Beaverbrook library - youth workshop - (date and details soon)

 

Orleans coming soon

Stittsville coming soon

St Laurent Library coming soon 

 

 

For more information or to book a workshop leader for your group, contact:  Admin 

Looking for someone to help lead a workshop on Tue Jan 11 evening -  Alta Vista at Cunningham

 

Special Note:   It is wonderful to see our project growing across Ottawa and beyond to the west, north, east and south.   I am looking to set up drop-off / pick-up centers  for the milkbags, cut strips and finished mats.  If you know someone who would like to coordinate an area or of a place in a community center, church, business or other public place, please let me know.

  

 These washable, quick-dry bed mats provide an alternative to sleeping on the damp, hard ground. Medical teams in Haiti have found them invaluable and the milk bags can also be crocheted into tote bags and other useful items. They are made from the plastic of the colourful outer milk bag which holds the three smaller clear bags inside. 

                  

Would you like to learn how to be involved in this recycle project: 

    Collecting, Cutting, Rolling or Crocheting ?

Would you like to deliver Bags or Mats from Ottawa to Hamilton or  Ann Arbour Michigan?

  

 

Pick-up & Drop-off locations

 

Local Group list

 

If you live outside of Ottawa and are looking for a group near your home?

  

For more information or to book a workshop leader for your group, contact:  Admin 

Please mention what area you are from (eg Orleans, Aylmer, Centertown, Kanata, Barrhaven etc)

 

Past and Future Workshops listed here

 

Why? 

• To help the environment by recycling plastic milk bags – give them a practical use while they take many years to decompose.
• To help people who are sleeping on the ground or on leaf/reed mats.   It protects them from dampness, biting insects and the common ‘paper cuts’ from leaves/reeds.  The sleeping mats are easy to wash/dry.  There is a desperate need for the homeless in Haiti since the earthquake.
• To provide surgical beds for medical teams in makeshift hospitals.  There is a desperate need in Haiti since the earthquake.
• To provide packing material for the Aid containers which are shipped to 3^rd world countries.
• To provide other helpful items like carry bags and teddy bears to 3^rd world countries.

 

Who?

There is a province-wide network of more than 70 small groups who have been working on this project for about 6 years.  The coordinator is Dianne Scott in Dunnville, Ontario.  These groups include schools, churches, Scouts & Guides, seniors groups, knitting/crochet clubs etc.  

Local groups:        Bells Corners United Church

                              Beta Sigma Phi (Laureate Phi Chapter) 

                              Many schools (Katimavik ,Immaculata,Broadview, Chesterton....)

                              Riverside United Church

                              Busy Hands (Brockville)

                              Manotick (click for info) 

                              Aylmer (workshop Jan 8)

                              Lincoln Fields

                              Lanark  (workshop Jan 15)

 

 

How?

Step 1:  Collect bag.  Make sure it is clean.  Lay flat

Step 2:  Trim off both ends to make it into a tube with clean edges 

Step 3:  Cut into one long strip or cut into loops and string them together (width anywhere from 1inch to 2inch)

Step 4:  Roll the plastic strips into a ball like yarn (or save in a bag) 

Step 5:  Use a size 7mm or 8mm or 9mm crochet hook.  (not size 7 which is 4.5mm)

            Chain stitch until 36" wide then single crochet until mat measures 60" long.  For a child’s mat use 30” x 48”

            Crochet very loosely with nice big holes. 

 

Note:  we normally have prepared extra boxes of milk bags which have completed steps 1 & 2.  we will be happy to give a box to you.  Great for new startup groups.   - Sorry - temporarily out-of-stock of kits due to high demand, but we do have milk bags.

 

Note: There are some milk bags which say BioDegradable on them. We do not recommend using these.  Hopefully all milk bags will one day be BioDegradable, but in the meantime we can try to recycle the others into something useful.

 

Hint: the plastic yarn is 'stickier' than regular yarn so keep it very loose with big holes.  

 

Hint: If you decide to ask anyone to help you collect bags, I recommend you ask them to lay them clean and flat in a box.  This makes them much more compact for storing and transporting.  It makes it easier to know how many you have (2inch thick is approx 125 bags). It also makes it easier for cutting.  

 

Tote bags made from milk bags are also needed for the hospitals (see below for details).

  

If you are a crocheter who do not like working with the plastic, you may be interested in making Teddies for Tragedies http://www.teddiesfortragedies.org/    These bears are given by the Doctors without Borders to calm and console children before and during medical treatment.  The teddies can be dropped off at 3955 Richmond Rd Ottawa (Bells Corners United Church)  or mailed directly to Toronto.

 

For more detailed information:

 

The strip width can be anywhere between 1 inch and 2 inches wide.  Beginners usually prefer the narrower size.

The width does not have to be precise because the strips naturally roll up during the crochet process.

There are 2 methods for cutting the bags into plastic yarn strips both are widely used - can be seen in these videos:

 

1: Single strip (easier to crochet, harder to cut) http://wsuc.blogspot.com/2009/02/cutting-milk-bags-for-sleeping-mats.html  

 

2. Double strip loops (harder to crochet, easier to cut)  http://www.sudbury24.ca/media/2791/Creating_sleeping_mats_out_of_milk_bags/  

 

Video how to cut and crochet Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN0VZZXkf-I&feature=related

 

Video how to cut and crochet Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht5AQLfYr1A&feature=related

 

Video how to cut and crochet Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUJEsjOw_Pw&feature=related 

 

Video how to avoid knots   http://wsuc.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-avoid-knots-when-crocheting.html  

 

Francais: http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2010/11/30/007-matelas-sacs-de-lait-haiti.shtml 

 

Ottawa citizen: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/With+just+crochet+hook+help+Haiti/3827643/story.html

 

Ottawa EMC http://www.emcbarrhaven.ca/20101125/news/Milk+bags+transformed+into+bed+mats+for+Haitians

 

 

Stories from a missionary who delivers mats to Haiti http://www.recorder.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2807264 

 

Milk bag project info with link to Instructions & FAQ  http://www.nbbc.ca/index_milkbag.htm  

 

Slideshow of a mat travelling from Ontario to a new home in Haiti  http://www.nwhcm.ca/oldsite/Gallery/MatPPT/MatPPT_1.htm

 

Missionaries taking mats to Haiti  http://www.nwhcm.ca/mats4haiti.htm

 

 

For more experienced crocheters the Tote Bags are extremely useful http://www.nwhcm.ca/oldsite/Gallery/Articles/MakingABag.htm

 

Gr 7 class in Stratford news article http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2468776  

 

Video of Montreal High school making mats   MVI_4257.AVI

 

Gr 7&8 school in Grimsby http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://media.mmgcommunity.topscms.com/images/e0/8f/e4f861be4670b2a99280e5ffa802.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/news/article/647452&usg=__i2Xvattnp_iluyYPBVOokr4FYjs=&h=267&w=400&sz=64&hl=en&start=16&itbs=1&tbnid=_FNwBUrQElTV0M:&tbnh=83&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilk%2Bbag%2Bbed%2Bmats%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

Article on Mat Making in Bradford   http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://bradford.gallery.siteseer.ca/cache/derivative/6/2/6200.dat&imgrefurl=http://www.bradfordtimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx%3Fe%3D2443788&usg=__bER-CytCdxDH1CUA6kbf1gCYSlA=&h=199&w=300&sz=19&hl=en&start=3&itbs=1&tbnid=5acnxkn-u8sxVM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilk%2Bbag%2Bbed%2Bmats%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

Interesting video on how to WEAVE a sleeping mat http://blip.tv/file/3303836 

 

Tote bag pattern http://www.kaylaksthriftyways.com/basic-plarn-tote/

Tote bag pattern http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/crochet/plastic_bag_craft_two_crocheted_tote_bags.php

 

 

  The Tote bags are given out at the hospitals and clinics containing basic essential items.   Once the person leaves the hospital, the bags become multipurpose.  They are used as diaper bags, market bags, school bags, etc... 

 

further info contact: Admin