Sustainable Handbag Recycling: Giving Your Old Purses a New Life

How to Recycle Handbags. If you are like many women, you have a closet full of handbags that are either worn out, have broken hardware or are simply too far out of date to be used in public. You may be too attached to your old purses to throw them away or send them off to the second hand store, but luckily there are a few ways you can salvage your handbags and recycle them for use around the house. Read on to learn more.

Step 1

Recycle your old handbags and help to save a life. Fill a couple of small purses with first aid supplies and keep one in your car, inside your home or anywhere it may come in handy in case of an emergency. You can use the pockets of old handbags to store smaller first aid items such as bandages and small scissor, while storing larger items such as hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol in the larger portions.

Step 2

Reuse an old purse to conveniently store emergency tools in your car. Handbags can be a great way to organize the clutter that fills your glove compartment and trunk. Place spark plugs, fuses and tools in an old handbag and keep it in the trunk of your car.

Step 3

Allow your children to decorate your old handbags and use them as toys. Children can have hours of fun with a hot glue gun and a needle and thread. They can decorate an old purse anyway they like for hours of fun.

Step 4

Turn your old handbags into convenient storage for needlework and other arts and crafts supplies. You will not only recycle an old purse, you will organize your home with a simple handbag.

Step 5

Cut up your old handbags and use the hardware and fabric for other craft projects. You can use the fabric as patches or pieces of a patchwork quilt, and the various buckles, clips, snaps and zippers are sure to come in handy for future craft projects.