Crisp Packet Project

It was back in November 2019 when I woke up in a green crisp packet....

I had been volunteers for a lovely out reach charity Surviving the streets Uk. We were allways running out of sleeping bags/ Bivi bags . The last two months I had been racking my brains on how I could help as Sts Uk was self funded.

Then one night at 2am I woke up in a half awake state in a large green crisp packet.

Crisp packets are waterproof, they take over 80 years to decompose. They are strong and fuse well together. The plastic coating makes them less crunchy , manageable and supple to fold up .

The next day I cracked on asking everyone I new if they had any crisp packets , it took me 12 hours to create my first Bivi bag . A Bivi bag is a bag that goes over your sleeping bag to keep your sleeping bag dryer for longer. This took 150 crisp packets and about 12 clear food waste bags . Every evening supermarkets donate food for our less fortunate communities in these big bags. These bags would usually end up in land fill, but instead Sts Uk would collect them. We also use these bags for The big Weave, which was another free community project. I ran this at The Art Shack ( plastics bag weave mats for the homeless ) You can find this on Facebook.

So I started cutting open my crisp packets landscape way and hand washing them in warm soapy water and then drying them . Then fused them into grids with an iron and at the time protected them with nylon ( I now know to use grease proof paper! ) I then fused the plastic both sides and then made one giant crisp packet envelope.

I was so excited the next night when I gave this to one off our less fortunate friends, on out reach . He was amazed. He tried it for a week and gave me a few pointers on what to change which I did . He said this is an amazing bit of kit. Recycling at its best!

I then asked on my business Facebook page, The Art shack, if anyone could help donate crisp packets.

Caroline Jane Miller

Caroline had heard my shout out and had messaged me in a panic! Pen, I’m really sorry but I’ve opened this Facebook page called Crisp Packet Project as you wanted crisp packets and I’ve been bombarded with questions on how to make this item. The Facebook page has crashed at 3000 followers in 5 days!

Caroline turned up with a long list of peoples email address and the press from all over the UK wanted to know more. She said, ‘I’m so sorry - all I wanted to do was help you. I haven’t got a clue what to do with the crisp packets; I have them being sent to me from every direction. I haven’t slept for 4 nights!

‘Caroline’, I said, ‘please don’t worry I will sort it all out’ .

My fantastic Crisp Packet Project journey..

So from that moment on the Crisp packet project has been in the limelight. This is such a fantastic way to help our less fortunate communities and help save one-use plastics going to land fill.

Uk Tour

People kept asking me about going on Tour.

Straight away I asked myself - am I able to go and demonstrate. I thought oh gosh well i would love to get these made ASAP in the Uk teach people to make them for there communities. It was November and winter was fastly approaching. I set up a gofund me page and suddenly had 11 demonstration booked in all different schools colleges and community hubs from South Thames College up to Newcastle Byker Grove. The main stretch would run for 10 days traveling by train and staying on route in B&Bs. My husband would be joining me for company and to not get lost. Although the gofundme page raised £900.00, this would eventually cost over £1,650.00. Every moment meeting Angels on the way that would give us hope and encouragement to carry on. From lifts to our next destination or donating meals or train tickets and of course, the workshops, radio and tv exposure to keep us going, to push on with our mission to educate others so they could get these Bivi bags to the street to help there rough sleepers for the winter.

Cpp area groups world wide

For some time now this has been a world wide organisation.

With over 40 CPP Area groups now world wide and many more individuals/ groups/ charities , making and creating all different life saving survival items.

This project is one big ball of magic, not just helping our less fortunate communities with survival items but giving new life to one - use plastics and bringing communities together. Giving people self worth, helping people in isolation throughout this pandemic. A shining light to help people with mental health issues, giving them something to focus on - a purpose. Myself and our volunteers have spent hours and hour on social media platforms with admin. We also have two fantastic free Educational Pdf packs to download load of website. And our constantly answering questions and on social media live feeds / zoom demonstrations. This has been the most demanding challenging experience that I will ever have the chance to have the pleasure of -so I’m embracing every moment.

In 2025, crisp packets they say will be changing and plastic will hopefully be all biodegradable. This would stop us from making these items. My plan is to make as many as I can to stop this useful material going to land fill untill then.

As font look as this as a crisp pack, this is a life saving material.

“People helping people and give new life to one - use plastics “

Crisppacketproject.com