Lepelstat crocheting plastic into something new, raising awareness

To crochet the plastic bags, Lepelstat must turn the bags into yarn.

“I already knew the stitches and how to crochet,” she said, “I just needed to learn how to make the plastic yarn and how to work with a new material.”

To make the “yarn,” Lepelstat folds the bag into a long strip, and cuts off the bottom of the bag and the handles. Then she cuts up the strip. When she unfolds the pieces she’s cut, she’s left with a circle of plastic. She ties the circles together and uses these long strings of plastic loops as the yarn for her bags and mats.

Lepelstat studied paleontology during her undergraduate years, but said she has always felt drawn to the ocean, and given the option, would choose to study oceanic fossils.

Following the death of her mother, Lepelstat said she felt she needed to do something she loved and act on her passions. She said watching 2021’s Shark Week was the final push she needed to enroll in an online master’s program through Unity College, where she is studying conservation of marine predators.

“I’ve always been in love with sharks, but I never thought I could do anything with that,” she said. “Now I am doing something with that.”

Through the program, Lepelstat learns about sharks, ecosystems, and the way plastic and pollutants impact ocean environments and species.

Because of her passion for conservation, she said she is always looking for ways to limit waste and discover new ways to recycle.

Each single plastic bag yields about 10 loops of plastic yarn. Depending on the size of a project, each bag or mat requires a different number of plastic bags.

The project Lepelstat is currently working on is a medium sized tote. She is about a third of the way finished, and has used about 12 plastic bags to this point.

After posting about the project on Facebook, Lepelstat received many comments and messages from friends and community members offering to give her their plastic bags. “People would meet up with me to give me their bags, or would leave them on their porch for me to pick up,” she said. “I now have plastic bags everywhere, in my closet, under my desk, in my cabinets, you name it.”

Lepelstat plans on selling the bags for about $10 each. While it takes her a few hours to complete a bag, she doesn’t want the price to discourage people from buying them. “The sustainability movement is amazing, but expensive,” said Lepelstat. “I want these bags to be affordable. I want to encourage reusing and recycling.”

Other small ways people can contribute to a sustainable lifestyle include bringing their own bags to stores, using a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones, giving up straws, and converting from plastic food storage containers to glass food storage containers, said Lepelstat.

“As one person, you can absolutely make a huge difference. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Even little things go a long way.”

To see Lepelstat’s website, visit sites.google.com/view/bullistic-for-bull-sharks/. To contact Lepelstat, email amanda.lepelstat@gmail.com.