A South African school holds the current record at 40,174 – Ms Torney wants to get to 43,000.

The sustainability enthusiast and legal studies teacher has collected 23,573 plastic supermarket bags.

Ms Torney's desire for a huge plastic-bag chain came from humble beginnings but has "taken over" her life.

“I started off about 15 years ago making fire lighters out of paper and wax," she said.

“I got busy with uni and wasn't able to pursue any other ideas of mine."

Now, Ms Torney is creating a taskforce of people who "eat, sleep and dream plastic bags," just like she does.

"I just wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and all I can think about is bags," she said.

"I like being the crazy bag lady though.

"I am a teacher but I still get to be a little crazy."

Ms Torney currently sources her plastic bags from publicly accessible bins at Coles supermarkets, Strath Village and Living Quarters on Lowndes Street, Bendigo.

She said she desperately needed public support for the ambitious endeavour.

Ms Torney said after the record attempt finished she would plait all the plastic bags and make mats to sell for Bendigo charities.

She said she wanted to show people it was possible to take plastic bags out of a landfill and into the living room.

She has crafted a foot stool solely out of toilet rolls and plastic bags.

She said she planned to eventually create an entire outdoor setting out of plastic bags.

“I started as a plarner – crocheting plastic yarn – and then moved onto plaiting bags and making door mats from them," she said.

"Over time I have probably used several hundred thousand bags.

"Then I set myself a challenge to plait 1 kilometre of rope to make into mats to sell for an animal rescue group, Furever Friends, to help pay for vet fees."

For more information and to watch the bag count grow find Bag Lady Recycling Depot on Facebook.

To donate bags or help link the bags together, email her at LibbyTorney@vcc.vic.edu.au