Have you ever thought about the waxed bags your cereal is packaged in. It’s not a large item. You could fold it up and stuff at least a 100 of them into a regular sized envelope. So, what’s the big deal? Why would anyone need to worry about keeping such a small item out of the land fields?

In America alone, there are 2.7 Billion boxes of cereal sold each year. Since the waxed paper the bags are made from are approximately 0.005 inches thick and there is two sides, if you stacked all 2.7 billion of them up, you’d end up with a stack that is 27 MILLION inches tall or 2.25 million feet tall. To me, that makes it something worth taking out of the environment.

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This post is designed to give you some ideas of some of the things you can do with the bags to prevent or at least delay, putting them into a land field. Plus, they can save you money because they can take the place of many other products you may use. Some of these uses just might surprise you.

Start by turning the bags inside out and washing them to remove cereal crumbs. Allow them to air dry. Don’t worry, they are tough. You can scrub with soapy water without worrying about them tearing. Most of the time, a quick rinse is all you need.


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<h2>Reusable Food Covers </h2>

A few cereal bags and a package of rubber bands and you’re all set to stop wasting money on plastic wrap. Whether you are covering food before refrigeration, or wrapping up the kid’s sandwiches, a cereal bag can do the trick. Now, getting the kids to remember to bring them home instead of tossing them at school, that might not be as easy.

<h2>No more stuck to each other treats</h2>

Have you ever made a big bag of treats, stacked them nice and neatly into a storage container, but when it came time to serve, you couldn’t get the top layer off the bottom? Use a layer of the waxed paper bag to keep the stacks from sticking.

<h2>Make drawers and shelves easier to clean</h2>

Have you ever had something leak in a drawer or cabinet? You can end up with a BIG mess that takes a lot of elbow grease to clean up. Use your cereal bags as shelf and drawer liners. If something leaks, it is much easier to clean up and if the waxed paper is ruined, just toss it and use another.

<h2>Make cookie dough in bulk!</h2>

If you have kids in school or who are active in sports, it can sometimes seem like they need some sort of treat at least once a week. Making cookies from scratch can be time consuming. So, why not make multiple batches at the same time. Divide them out into the amount you need, then wrap them with the waxed cereal liner, and stack them in the freezer.

<h2>Protect your table during craft time</h2>

Whether its you or the kids, messes happen. You can make a reusable table cover by taping multiple sheets of cereal box liners together to make a sheet as large as you need. It can catch all your droppings and protect the surface of your table.

<h2>Cat Box Liners</h2>

A couple of waxed paper liners taped together can cover the entire bottom of your cat box. It will be 1000 times easier to clean. Just toss the used litter, rinse out the box and add another homemade liner.

<h2>Emergency burgers</h2>

No matter how hard we try to be prepared for anything, something always pops up making it hard to have dinner on the table at a decent hour. Take several pounds of hamburger meat, form it into whatever size patties you normally use. Cut a square from the waxed paper bags and place a layer between each burger. Store in a reusable container or wrap the whole stack in the bags before freezing.

The burgers will be easy to get apart and can be cooked while still frozen. Cook a few minutes longer than you normally would and make sure the meat is cooked through.

<h2>Cereal Box Seed Starter</h2>

You will probably need two paper liners for this one, plus a cereal box. Remove the waxed bag from the box. Tape the top of the box in place. Lay the box flat and cut out most of the top using a box cutter or razor blade knife. Leave about ½ inch of the top in place for strength.

Split both bags on each side, leaving the bottom intact. Tape the 2 bags together on their long sides. Line the box with the paper making sure you tuck the corners in neatly. Also tape around the top edge. The bags keep the box from getting wet. Fill the box with your favorite soil mix. You can grow herbs or start seedlings to transplant later.

<h2>Reusable Food Bags</h2>

Cut a waxed bag to the length you want plus 2 to 3 inches. On one side of the bag, cut down the side the length of the extra inches you added. Then cut a straight line across from side to side. Fold the top down and crease sharply. Cut a piece of glue on Velcro type closure to seal the bag.

If you don’t need a large bag, you can cut the size you want, then sew the bottom and sides on a sewing machine or by hand. Add the Velcro like above.

<h2>Keep trash bags out of the landfills</h2>

You can save money by not buying as many trash bags. Each bag you don’t use is one less bag for the landfills. Leave your Waxed bag in the box and fill it full of anything you don’t compost before tossing. This also works with bread bags, sugar bags or any type of plastic or paper bag designed to hold food products till the consumer uses it.

<h1>Ok, I am out of ideas, your turn!</h1>

That is all I can think of right now. Can you think of any other uses? If so, please list them in the comments below so everyone can learn from them.

Sources:

[reference.com](https://www.reference.com/math/many-bowls-cereal-average-american-eat-annually-b6383df080f94cf2)