The Green Thing post got me thinking, perhaps we could all share some recycling tips that we do and maybe get a few new ideas too. Some of the things I recycle are: I reuse the plastic grocery bags for all kinds of things such as waste can liners, disposing of kitty-do when I clean the boxes, I send them to the local community center and food bank for them to use, the library uses them to put books in on rainy days. There are all kinds of uses for them. You can wrap your shoes in them when traveling so as not to get your clothes dirty, also to bring your dirty laundry home in. I use newspapers and cardboard boxes for mulch in my garden. It helps a lot. Leaky tubs and buckets are great planters. I use my granddaughter's old blue swimming pool for a flower bed named for her. I put my elephant ears and canna lilies in there to make it easier to dig them up in the fall. I will have to put a rock border around it before it breaks down too much though. Old swing sets can be used to make a greenhouse if you like in your garden. You can wrap it in plastic, and leave a flap to use as a door. Put straw down on the floor and around the outside to hold the plastic down in the wind. Some old boards across the braces make great shelves to set your plants on. When warm weather comes back, you can open a few flaps to circulate air. Four lengths of rebar make a nice arbor. I made one with rebar this past winter, and my wisteria loves it. Rebar Arbor on the left. ( photo / image / picture from AAnightowl's Garden ) This arbor is an old jungle gym. I put it on steel posts, but had to remove the rungs on each end first. It took me about two weeks to saw through the rusty bolts, but it is solid, and very popular with my wild birds. birdfeeder ( photo / image / picture from AAnightowl's Garden ) Washing machine tubs make great planters too. peonies and roses ( photo / image / picture from AAnightowl's Garden ) I have peonies in this one. I would love to hear or see some of your ideas.
I fear I'm not as creative as you, but we recycle/reuse lots of things. I use 2 liter clear pop bottles for mini-greenhouses. Just cut the bottom off and "pop" it over a pot with seedlings. The cap can be removed or replaced as needed. Those styrofoam trays meats come in make great plant trays for the above-mentioned greenhouses. Mesh bags are saved and reused for storing our own onions, garlic, and potatoes. Friends even save them for us! Plastic coffee cans make great compost containers in the kitchen. I keep one for compost and another for scraps for the chickens (labeled so there is no confusion!). We use a powder laundry detergent that comes with a green plastic scoop. I save those and use them as scoops for bird seed, composted manure, chicken scratch, and anything that needs to be scooped, except poop. Great post Anightowl!
There are so many things can be recycled and reused. I think we can get quite a long list. I have an old plastic pitcher for compost scraps, and take the chicken ones out to them daily. I reuse the mesh bags for things too. Plastic jars or tincans can be used for petfood scoops...I have a lot of German in my background, including Pennsylvania Dutch and we don't believe in wasting things. Today I got a storage tote with a cracked bottom. I am going to fill it with soil and use it for a flower planter thingy... whatever.
Like you we reuse plastic bags, newspapers and leaky buckets or tubs. I have been wondering about what to do with the swing set now that the girls are growing up, and now I know! Thank you for that great tip.
As I was feeding the chickens I found another of our recyclables. I cut away the bottom and about 1/3 of one side of a plastic vinegar bottle. That makes a scoop and with the cap removed, a narrow pour spout at the other end. I can dig into our big barrel of chicken feed with the scoop and then pour it into the smaller containers I keep near the coops for convenience. It would work with almost any dry grainy substance you have to work with. I've even used it with potting soil to fill smaller quart and 4" pots.
Those scoops work for any kind of pet food, livestock feed or whatever. Why waste money on boughten ones when you can make them free any time you need them? Plastic peanutbutter jars work for these jobs too.
I try to take cloth bags everywhere when I go shopping except when shopping for my Mom, she likes to use the plastic ones as trash can liners. Newspapers and cardboard for paths and under mulch in areas where I am not going to plant right away. Last year we had to replace our waterbed mattress and I slit the old one down three sides and used with a layer of cedar mulch on top to cover an area of the backyard to kill the weeds. I use the large plastic lids from jars for plant trays. We get peanut butter in the 4 pound jars and those lids are a little over 4 inches across a great size for that. For bean, grain and pasta storage in the pantry I have several of the oval shaped containers that Kraft used for the Mayo made with olive oil when it first came out. When I make goats milk soap, I use all sorts of former food containers for molds...oval ones that tuna salad used to come in, deep round ones that tenderloin filets come in at Kroger and other containers I keep depending on what strikes my fancy. For 3 inch tall pillar candles I cut down Pringles cans, it's a one time use since the cardboard has to be peeled off to free the candle. Also, have used the cans that frozen juice concentrate comes in and the plastic Odwalla drink containers. I save glass jars of assorted sizes to hold leftovers instead of buying plastic containers. My cucumber trellis is made from three poles off an old swing set with chicken wire tied to them. The rest of the swing set is in the shed but will be coming out this fall to set up as an arbor similar to yours. I have three old red wagons and two old wheelbarrows being used as planters. Plus an assortment of metal tubs I have collected over the years. I use old coal scuttles found at thrift stores (most are just decorative but they work for me) to hold weeds as I work in the garden. When the metal bottoms start rusting out I remove the bottom, push them down into the soil a bit and use them as planters. I have several old cone shaped tomato cages that make a great trellis for some vines like Morning Glories. Anything that can't be used in some new life (and has the recycle symbol on it) gets put in the recycle barrel that the city picks up every other week.
Cool. I have a bunch of those peanutbutter lids and have not figured out what to use them for yet. I like to get mismatched china in my favorite colors at yard sales or thrift shops for under my plants. Oh, those peanutbutter lids will fit wide mouth one gallon glass jars if you lose a lid. I use those as canisters for my dry goods like flour, sugar, beans, pasta, etc. I use plastic lids from mayo or small peanutbutter jars to keep my canning jars clean and dust free between uses. Otherwise they collect bugs and spiders when empty. Eeeewww. I have a lot of those cloth sacks for shopping but never remember to take them along shopping. I save my glass jars for things like leftovers or canning, but I do have some plastic for traveling. Some glass jars can be reused, but shhhh, I don't want them disappearing like the old mayo jars did. There was nothing wrong with reusing them as canning jars. Old plastic plates work nice for picnics instead of paper plates. You can use old silverware for picnics too, less pollution. Washing them when you get home is no big deal.
I was just thinking of some sewing ideas for recycling for those who sew or have a family member/friend who sews. Old blankets and mattress pads make great quilt batting for new quilts. Also, if your old quilts are worn and getting ratty, don't toss them, make a new quilt by recovering them. If your jeans get holey knees, you can cut them off, hem the cut part and make shorts of your slacks. You can either do it by hand or machine which ever you have handy. Hand-me-downs are another option. If not for your kids, perhaps donate good items to a charity such as Goodwill, Seventh-day Adventist Community Centers, the Salvation Army and many others. Find them in the phone book or online. Other people in need will appreciate them. They have all been active in the recent disasters in places such as Joplin MO or Japan. Some people take apart dated but good clothing and remake them into newer styles and they look very good. One area charity here has volunteers who do that.
I buy a lot of my clothes at thrift stores, I can find the long skirts I like and can't find anywhere else. Also, having been a hand quilter for almost 20 years, old blankets, quilts and mattress pads are not easy to quilt through. Quilting them on a machine would be better. You can hand quilt them but would have to do the two handed quilting....pushing the needle down with one hand and pushing it up from the underside with the other hand which makes the stitches long and jagged.
Ragged or worn quilts can be made into decorative pillows. Just cut out a good section, sew a plain backing to it, and stuff. Sections of quilts can be framed--I have two hanging in the guest bedroom, an Ohio Star and an unnamed pattern that is a nine-patch. Making hooked rugs from old wool clothing used to be one of my favorite pastimes. Since I got to Texas, however, sitting with a wool rug on my lap doesn't seem to be much fun. I need to find a way to recycle ice cubes!
I find recycling ice cubes in a tall glass of rum and Dr.Pepper a most satisfying way to continue the life of a recycler.
I have two recycling tips. Save silica gel packs and use in your seed collections. I also save bleach, milk or any plastic bottle that I can cut up. I make all my plant markers out of them. They don't rot or fade and you can make them any size you need.
Hi Donna, thanks for the tips. I do save those silica gel packs to use for things like my seeds and stuff that needs to be kept dry. Welcome here to Garden Stew too.
