Got milk bags?
Retired teacher wants to repurpose plastic material for charity
When Anna Farquhar moved to P.E.I., she discovered that not many Islanders pour their milk from a bag.
“I was very surprised, but I also understand why.”
The retired teacher noticed most Islanders drink milk from a carton or a jug.
While bagged milk can be bought here, it’s much more popular in her home province of Ontario, she said.
“We go through maybe two of these (bags) a week.”
This posed a unique dilemma for Farquhar.
About three years ago, she had started recycling used milk bags for charity.
“Because what else would you use them for?” she said.
“All this stuff that would end up in a landfill.”
With the help of students at her former schools, she started putting her crocheting skills to use.
She’d hook and loop about 60 milk bags into one, each taking just over an hour to make.
She’d then sell the colourful tote bags – which can be used as beach bags, market bags, or grocery bags – and donate all the proceeds to a different charity each year. At the end of her first year she raised about $800, she said.
“The big thing is to give.” Since retiring to Stratford, P.E.I. with her husband, she figured she’d spend her free time milking the oft-discarded material.
She plans to donate all proceeds from this year's tote bag sales to Habitat for Humanity in Charlottetown.
“(But), the raw materials to make them are proving hard to find,” she said.
“Whoever on P.E.I. still drinks bagged milk, I want your bags.”
Farquhar wants to build a community of bagged milk
“(But), the raw materials to make them are proving hard to find. Whoever on P.E.I. still drinks bagged milk, I want your bags.” Anna Farquhar
drinkers so she can continue this charity here.
She has a drop off bin set up at the Stratford Public Library for people to donate their used milk bags, and she’s open to setting up more at other locations, she said.
She has consignment deals with shops in Oyster Bed Bridge and Brackley to sell them from. As of now, it’s just her making them, but it's not something she’s taking ownership over as it’s all for charity.
“If anyone wants to learn how to make them, I will teach them,” she said.
Farquhar used to teach intermediate science, which had a strong focus on environmental sustainability.
Therefore, part of her initiative is to support the environment and repurpose what would otherwise be garbage.
For that reason, she thinks it’s a good thing most Islanders don’t drink milk from bags. She’s noticed P.E.I. is a very generous province, which is partly why she fell in love with it and moved here, she said.
“I honestly feel like I’m in the right place to do this.”
If there are any bagged milk drinkers who want to donate their bags to Farquhar’s cause, reach out to her at farquhara@ hotmail.com