Texas Teens Repurposing Thousands Of Plastic Shopping Bags Into Sleeping Mats For The Homeless

“It really does put things into perspective and reminds us not to take what we have for granted."

Addie Roberts, 17, has been volunteering with her family at SAMMinistries, an interfaith nonprofit working to overcome homelessness in San Antonio, since she was a child.

She first learned about the plarning of mats in 2022, when she was a sophomore in highschool. Recognizing the impact plarn mats could have on those in need as well as the environment, Roberts decided to introduce the skill to other local teens through Teens Give Back (TGB) SATX. That year she launched the Repurpose Plarn Mat Project, which she has been leading ever since.

A portmanteau of “plastic” and “yarn,” plarning is the process of knitting or crocheting repurposed plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats. These mats are a labor of love. A single mat takes about 700-900 bags and 15-20 hours to make.

“I didn’t really see it at first, I didn’t really see it for the first all of the steps until it was made, but once it was made, I thought it was really cool,” TGB member Joseph Duperier told KSAT.

After learning how to weave, teens either complete a mat on their own or with others, and turn them over to Roberts. She then checks their quality and completion, adds carrying straps to them out of more bags, and then submits them to SAMM for distribution.

“When we hand those over to the clients we work with, again, it’s invaluable; it provides warmth, it provides the ability to stay dry to stay away from bugs, and all of that matters for someone sleeping unsheltered outside,” Rex Brien, VP of Emergency service for SAMMinistries, told KSAT.

In some temperatures, Brien said that the mats can even save lives.

"These mats address basic needs because they are water resistant, bug resistant, and provide insulation from extreme temperatures,” Roberts said in a statement. “At the end of the day people who are fortunate lay in bed with down comforters and high-thread count bed sheets, while someone unsheltered yearns for at least some basic comfort and a safe place to sleep. It really does put things into perspective and reminds us not to take what we have for granted."

With the help of neighborhood bag drives, Roberts’ group made about 50 mats over the past year. But a new partnership guarantees access to a nearly limitless supply of bags.

After a recent tour of the H-E-B recycling facility, the grocery chain offered to provide the teens with regular donations of recycled bags. With last month’s donation of roughly 8,000 bags, the teens crafted 10 sleeping mats.

"For teens this is a fun way to give back. For introverts who want to work on it at home, they can binge watch their favorite show while working on it, and for extroverts who want to have a mat-making get together with friends for their student club service hours… it's a fun project for just about anyone,” Roberts said. “For those who don't want to weave at all, they can recycle bags to be repurposed into mats. It's a win-win for everyone."

Keep up the good work!

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.