Hey, it’s Dan

In Today’s Issue:

• I found an old If You Give a Mouse a Cookie book at a thrift store

• It made me realize I might be the mouse… but with plastic bags

• So I wrote the spiral version of my life as a reuse person

• Plus: delayed hunger, emotional glue sticks, and a trash can epiphany

🌎 Our Mission

 Eco Hustle is about getting paid to save the planet—one plastic project at a time.
Usually that means testing reuse ideas, tracking experiments, and mocking my own learning curve.
This week? It’s just a chaotic little tale.

This Week’s Plastic Problem

You ever post something you're excited about, and hear… silence? Or worse—likes but no action?

That was me this week with the Second Chance Scrubber Kit.
People liked the story. Commented. Gave emoji support on Nextdoor. But no one actually said, “I want one.”

So now I’ve got a fully prepped kit… and a lot of questions.

🛠 This Week’s Hustle:  If You Give Dan a Plastic Bag…

If you give Dan a plastic bag,
he’ll say thank you.
He’ll tell you it’s perfect.
He’ll smooth it out and fold it like it’s a napkin at a wedding.

Then he’ll stare at it.
And wonder if it’s stretchy or crunchy.
And how many loops it would make.

He’ll cut it into strips.
Not because he needs them.
But because it’s there.
And once it’s cut, he has to loop it.

And once it’s looped, he needs to test something.

Maybe a coaster.
Maybe a birdhouse.
Maybe a vaguely described “community reuse installation.”

He’ll forget to eat.
His floor will be covered in bag curls.
He’ll call it batching.

And then… he’ll get an idea.

Maybe it’s a kit.
Maybe it’s a class.
Maybe it’s a recycled bracelet that also holds emotional weight.

He’ll write about it.
He’ll make a thumbnail.
He’ll ask people to vote even though he’s already decided.

He’ll forget why he started.
He’ll remember while walking past a trash can.

He’ll see another bag.
Pick it up.
And whisper:
“Yes.”

💡Pro Tip From a Functional Plastic Hoarder

 If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
The line between reuse and obsession is… thin.
About 0.5 inches wide, actually.

One Last Tangle

 Sometimes the best things I build start with a joke.
Sometimes they end there too.
But if someone gives you a plastic bag and you feel inspired?

You might be on the right path.

You Pick, I Spiral

 Should I write more reuse stories like this?
Turn this into a short zine?
Sketch a kids’ book version for plastic-aware Gen Alpha weirdos?

Reply and let me know. This one came out of nowhere — but maybe it’s got legs.

P.S. I Read Every Reply

 If you’ve spiraled like this before, send me your story.
I’ll read it, relate to it, and maybe send you a badge that says “Emotionally Attached to Crinkly Things.”