Hey, it’s Dan

In today’s Issue:

🧶 I spent $70 on Amazon tools and crocheted... a throw pillow.
💥 Guilt Sponges are out. Second Chance Scrubbers are in.
♻️ One accidental DIY disaster later, I might’ve found my first real product.
🛠️ Plus: bag math, brother feedback, and a surprise tip I wish I knew sooner.

 Our Mission

Eco Hustle is about helping people get paid to save the planet — one plastic project at a time.
We’re building small wins, testing messy experiments, and proving that reuse can be powerful (and surprisingly profitable).

This Week’s Plastic Problem

I thought making a plarn scrubber would be a quick, satisfying project.
Instead, I ended up crocheting something that could moonlight as a very firm couch pillow.
Crochet, it turns out, involves math and counting — two things I heroically ignored.

This Week’s Hustle: How I Almost Quit After Crocheting a Throw Pillow?

Confession: I had to learn how to crochet.

Cue the YouTube panic scroll:
"Crochet for Beginners" → "Crocheting Thick Yarn" → "Can You Crochet Plastic or Will You Cry?"

Turns out you need a size Q crochet hook for thick plarn — and apparently, every store near me considers that "too niche."

So naturally, I hit Amazon.

Here’s what $70 of 'starter kit' panic buys got me:

• Size Q crochet hook

• Martelli rotary cutter (lifesaver for strips)

• Giant self-healing cutting mat

• Scissors that claimed to cut a penny (they lied, but they’re great on bags)
  

There’s nothing quite like spending $70 to make dollar dish scrubbers.
(Still figuring out the final pricing... but you get the point.)

Armed with supplies and questionable YouTube knowledge, I finally crocheted my first "scrubber."
I use that word lightly.
It was roughly the size of a small throw pillow — stiff, lumpy, and mildly threatening.

After laughing at myself and considering quitting, I unraveled it and started over.
This time? I counted every row like my side hustle dreams depended on it.

✅ First real scrubber, built.
✅ First real "this could be a product" moment.

And honestly? If I can pull this off with zero crochet experience and a pile of questionable Amazon buys, you’ve totally got this.

Then I hit another snag: the name.

Originally, I called them Guilt Sponges.
Sounded clever at first — until I realized:

• They aren’t sponges

• And who wants guilt sitting next to their kitchen sink?

Thankfully, my brother Tim casually suggested a way better name:
Second Chance Scrubbers.
Way more forgiving. Way more true to the mission.

First live field test:  

I handed the scrubber to my brother Paul, half-expecting a pity compliment.

Instead, he flipped it over thoughtfully and said:

"This is actually surprisingly sturdy."

Not gonna lie — it felt like winning an Oscar for "Best Plastic-Based Redemption Arc."

Bonus discovery: Bag Math

• Regular grocery bags → 12–15 bags per scrubber

• Thick reusable bags → 5–6 bags per scrubber

✅ Money Breadcrumb:
Now I can actually batch and price scrubber kits — which means this might turn into a real side hustle.

👉 Want first dibs on a Second Chance Scrubber or DIY kit?

Reply to this email and I’ll put you on the VIP chaos list.

(Early adopters get bonus weirdness.)

💡 Quick Tip: Start Small and Count Everything

If your first scrubber starts looking suspiciously like a mattress, it’s not personal — it’s math.
Start with a 6x6 stitch base and count your rows religiously.
(Counting = crafting. Trust me.)

🔮 Up Next: Bag Battle + Thin Plarn Tests

Next week, I’m putting different bag types head-to-head to see which makes the best Second Chance Scrubber.
Will Stater Bros plastic dominate?
Will Walmart gray bags finally find a purpose?

And because chaos loves company — I’ll also be testing 1/2 inch wide plarn strips to see if smaller loops make sturdier, tighter scrubbers.

Scientific? Maybe not.
Necessary? Absolutely.

PS.  Hit reply if you’ve got chaos, questions, bag jokes, better names, or plarn life hacks — I seriously read every single one.
(And yes, I still have the giant scrubber if you need proof.)