Recycling Milk Bags into Bed Mats for Haiti 2011

 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 

Upcoming Workshops - Everyone Welcome

     

Ottawa Far West - Town of Richmond Every 2nd Wed  - next Wed Oct  19 1-3:30pm at the Youth Center 6179 Perth Street in Richmond.  Informal gathering for sorting, cutting and crotcheting.  Refreshments provided.

 

Centertown - Good Companions Center - Every Tues afternoon 1-3pm  670 Albert Street. Regular gathering to make Mats & Totes.  Please contact Linda at 613-236-0428 x270 for details.  http://thegoodcompanions.ca/

 

Ottawa West - Bells Corners - Sat Oct 29 - drop in anytime 10am-4pm  There will also be an ECO-fair with lots of displays and workshops.  Elizabeth May will be speaking at 11:30am.  100-Mile lunch, Eco-friendly vehicles, electronics recycling and more.  3955 Richmond Rd at Bells Corners United Church www.bcuc.org

 

Kemptville - Tues Nov 1 at 7:30pm

 

Orleans - Tue Nov 8 at  7pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 6255 Cumorah Drive.  Informal gathering. Everyone of all ages welcome to join in the fun. Meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 

 

Arnprior - Tues November 15 at 7:30pm  date and location to be confirmed  

 

 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 750 mats from Ottawa! (with the help of the following people)

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

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

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

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

Bed mats to Haiti  Feb 2011 = 43   (Dave)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bed mats to Haiti  May 20, 2011 = 22 (Alison & Dave)

Bed mats to Haiti  May 30 2011 = 71 (Harold)

Bed mats to Haiti  Jun 24 2011 =  36  (Norah & Tom)

Bed mats to Haiti  Jun 25 2011 = 48 (Desna and Vernon)

Bed mats to Haiti  Aug 2 2011 = 186 (Anne & Vic)

Bed mats to Haiti  Aug 27 2011 = 20 (Barbara)

Bed mats to Hait  Sept 9 2011 = 17 (Margaret & William)

 

Tote bags sent to Haiti = 79

Teddies in Bags sent to Haiti orphanage and Doctors without Borders - approx 198

 

If you know anyone travelling to Peterborough area (Omeemee/Lindsay) who wants to drop off mats, contact Admin  

 

Congratulations and many thanks to everyone !!!

A rough estimate for Ottawa Area shows over 15 000 hours of work donated to this cause  and over 200 000 milkbags saved from the landfill to be given a new life helping people.

 

There were 2 shipments to Haiti this summer, one in June and one in the last week of August.  So all of the  733 mats that were sent from Ottawa have left the country.  I am told that the mission group is working with a Catholic Mission group to renovate a building to become a fully functional hospital and mission on Tortuga Island in Haiti, so the next few batches of mats will go to them.

 

The prefered method for rolling the mats for shipping is approx 3 feet or 1 meter wide roll.  

 

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