Let’s face it—you’ve got a lot of crap lying around. A number of things coming into your house can be recycled, just make the space to recycle it or find more uses for it. Listen, you don’t have to be a full-blown hippie to start stepping up and saying sorry to Mother Earth. So, how can you get the best out of recycled materials? Sure you can do the usual milk carton as a bird feeder thing, but that’s so 2nd grade arts and crafts. How about turning a cereal box into a magazine holder or turning old toothbrushes into bracelets? Here’s a list of some big-kid uses of recycled goods in everyday life.
1. Grocery Bag
Um, Duh. Don’t be ‘That Guy’ who’s still using plastic bags at the grocery/department store. If it makes it any easier, keep an extra one in your car so you can always have it handy.
2. Bike Inner Tubes
Easy and instant bungee when securing things. Cut them down the middle, length-wise, and use it to tie down just about anything. Get a clip from the cool company, IT Clip.
3. Dryer Lint
Just when you thought it couldn’t be used, turns out you can use dryer lint. Use it in, compost, as a fire starter for the fireplace, spin it like wool or make it into clay. FYI: This stuff can be highly flammable and it is not to be used for stuffing toys.
4. Crayons and Jars
Make a candle. Just melt the crayons in a jar, insert a wick (about one-half exposed), then let cool. Use a Popsicle stick to create that swirled effect. Instant Candle!
5. DIY Sprinkler
Release your inner MacGyver and make your own lawn sprinkler with a 20-ounce plastic bottle with cap, 15 used ball point pins, male hose attachment, plumbing contact adhesive and sealant and a drill. Gotta see it to believe it.
6. Windows as Picture Frames
Such a cool bit of art with something you had planned to just toss aside. Wonderful Colorado artist, Alisa Mokler Harper, of Iris Photo Agency has the right idea.
7. Melted Wine Bottles
Don’t even pretend you don’t have plenty of bottles lying about. Put them to use by recycling them properly or having them pressed flat to make a fab cheese, fruit or appetizer platter. Takes a good 13 hours in a kiln (you have one of those right?) Or you can order online.
8. Buy Items Made from Recycled Plastics
Just make the extra effort to buy recyclable items. Recycled soda bottles, shampoo containers, and other plastics are being made into everything from pens to coats, carpet, and speakers. How cool is that!
—E. Brown
Scribe: Works of a Writrix 