Recycling Milk Bags into Bed Mats for Haiti 2011

 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

Upcoming Workshops - Everyone Welcome

    

Orleans - Saturday May 28  10am at 480 Charlemange Blvd, Bilberry Creek Baptist Church http://www.bilberry.org/ 

 

Riverside & Walkley - Sat June 4, 9:30-11am at 3191 Riverside Drive, Riverside United Church.  Workshop includes hands-on cutting and crocheting. Need more crocheters. There is no discrimination - men are welcomed as enthusiastically as women.

 

Barrhaven - Mon June 20, 7-9pm details to come soon.  Workshop includes hands-on cutting and crocheting. Need more crocheters.

  

 These washable, quick-dry bed mats provide an alternative to sleeping on the damp, hard ground. Medical teams in Haiti have found them invaluable.  The milk bags can also be crocheted into Tote bags which are are used in the hospitals.

 

We use 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?

  

 

For more information on where to get milk bags or how to get started or to book a workshop leader for your group, contact:  Admin 

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

 

Local Pick-up & Drop-off locations  for milk bags and mats

 

Local Groups  

 

Recent Workshops   to help you find people in your area who already know how to make the mats

 

We have shipped the 359 mats from Ottawa!

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Nov 2010 = 22  (Barbara & Sheila)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Dec 12, 2010 = 26  (Marsha)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Dec 19, 2010 = 25 (Amber)

Bed mats sent to Haiti Jan 2011 = 27   (Graeme & Winnie)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Feb 2011 = 43   (Dave)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Mar 12, 2011 = 20 (Sandy)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Mar 19, 2011 = 53  (Dan)

Bed mats sent to Tanzania Mar 29, 2011 = 42 (Renee)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Apr 12, 2011 = 50 (George)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Apr 24, 2011 = 11 (Susan's friend)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  Apr 25, 2011 = 40 (Cindy & Pat)

Bed mats sent to Haiti  May 20, 2011 =     (Alison & Dave)

 

Tote bags sent to Haiti = 27

Teddies in Bags sent to Haiti orphanage and Doctors without Borders - approx 128

 

 

 

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 useful items like carry bags 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, crochet clubs etc.  

A few of the local groups:      

• The Ottawa Catholic School Board has several schools, administrators, teachers and students who have been working extremely hard at collecting, cutting and crocheting mats. They have donated over 50 mats this fall! 
• Bells Corners United Church
• Beta Sigma Phi (Laureate Phi Chapter) 
• Many schools (Katimavik ,Immaculata,Broadview, Castlefrank, Century, Chesterton, St Mark's, St Mary's, Longfields....)
• Riverside United Church
• Busy Hands (Brockville)
• Manotick (click for info) 
• Aylmer 
• Lincoln Fields
• Lanark  

 

 

 

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 7, 8, 9 or 10mm crochet hook.  (size K, L, M, or N - 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”

            Keep the tension very loose with nice big holes. 

 

Hint: the plastic yarn is 'stickier' than regular yarn so crochet very loosely.  

 

Note: There are some milk bags (Natrel brand) which say BioDegradable on them. Do not use these for the mats.  Hopefully all milk bags will one day be BioDegradable, but in the meantime we can try to recycle the others into something useful. Also, I've been asked to use only milkbags for tropical countries

 

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

 

Finger-crocheting and weaving are also options if you don't like using the hook.

 

Tote bags crocheted from milk bags are also desperately needed for the hospitals 

http://www.nwhcm.ca/oldsite/Gallery/Articles/MakingABag.htm

 

There are many patterns, choose one you like or design your own.   Size approximately 16" x 16"   (or 30 stitches x 30 rows with a 9mm hook)

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

 

 

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

 

Here are Links to videos and more information:

 

The strip width can be anywhere from 1 inch to 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.  Wider strips = thicker mat.

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

 

 

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

 

Ottawa woman teaches Mat Making in Mexico

 

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

 

Gr 5 & 6 at St Mary Catholic School http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/917534--milk-bag-mats-help-homeless-haitians

   

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

 

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

 

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

 

Photo Gallery - if you have a photo of your mat or your group making mats, you can send it it to Admin.  Please note, this is the internet so send only what you want the world to see.

 

  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

 

Visitors since Jan 1, 2011