RECYCLING
Saturday January 31, 2009 05:52:15 PM
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Always wash and rinse thoroughly before reusing. Do not let the milk dry or
sour or the jug is useless.
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Baby food and juice bottles: Put ½ cup cold milk and 1 tbsp of instant pudding
in bottle. Close lid and shake vigorously for 1 minute and refrigerate.
Creates individual serving of pudding.
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Coat tips of knitting needles and crochet hooks that have been nicked and
snag. It smoothes out the tip like new.
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Cut in 2 - 3
inch widths and decorate for personalized napkin rings. Fill with small gifts
or toys, or a baggie with snack size candy. Cover with a rectangle of wrapping
paper.
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Cut in half through the middle and give to a child to use in a sand box.
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Cut off bottom off milk cartoons and leave lid on. This makes a great scoop for scooping potting
soil.
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Cut off the top of empty plastic milk containers to desired height to make
storage containers to fit in drawers.
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Cut open the top front and use to store loose items on a shelf decorate to
match your bathroom.
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Don't throw away old towels, cut out the best parts and stitch them together
to make a bath mat.
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Don't throw out leftover coffee. Freeze it in ice cube trays, and when you
don't want to make an entire pot, you can get your cubes out of the freezer
and pop them in the microwave.
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Egg cartons - Use to make seed starter trays. If you use the heavy cardboard
trays, you can compost the cardboard when you pop the seedling out, or you
could bury it next to the seedling to decompose. Use to make extra ice cubes
or to freeze soup stock and gravy.
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Empty paper-towel roll - Store extension cords inside.
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Empty plastic liners from cereal boxes make good freezer bags or wax paper.
Use for lunch bags also.
- Envelopes - Carefully open the envelope and turn it inside out, so the address
is on the inside. Re-glue or tape the flaps down. Or make your own envelopes
out of scraps of paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, old phone book pages, or
wallpaper scraps.
- Fill with rice (not instant) and sew closed. Keep in refrigerator or freezer
in a enclosable plastic bag and use as a cold pack. Keep rice dry. For heat
pack, heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. It retains the heat or cold for a
long time. As long as the rice is kept dry, it can be reused many times.
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Fold up extension or
appliance cords and insert in of toilet rolls in tube. Roll ribbons or lace on it that will be
damaged if folded.
- Freeze water in bottom
of discarded juice bottles and place 1/3 and fill the rest of the way with water for a cold
drink on trips.
- Milk cartons - use for potting plants, or fill with water and freeze to make
blocks of ice.
- Nail lids to bottom of a wooden shelf. Fill jars with nail, screws, etc...,
and screw to lids.
- Never throw away a plastic tray. Use them to store leftovers in
the freezer, gift giving, and to carry food to social events.
- Old mismatched socks make good dusters.
- Pantyhose: Put in freezer overnight once when you get them. It strengthens
them and prevents snags and runs longer. Cut off legs of clean pantyhose and
store onions in. Place in one onion and tie a knot. Repeat and hang in a cool
dry place. As you need an onion, snip it off from the bottom. A leg can be
placed in your tool box in your car. It can be used in an emergency for a fan
belt. Tie between the two or more wheels the fan belt was on and pull as tight
as you physically can knot the pantyhose to keep them on. (double) Cut off
excess. It will last long enough to get you to a repair shop or part house to
get a new belt on mine lasted 2-3 weeks before wearing out and breaking off. I
don't suggest you leave it on that long though.)
- Place crushed ice in and seal for a quick ice pack
in empty juice bottles that have been cut in half.
- Place liquid poster paints in a large bag and seal with all the air removed.
Lay flat on a table and let kids use fingers on outside of the bag to make
designs without making a mess.
- Plastic ice cream buckets
can store biscuits or cakes to carry elsewhere.
- Plastic jugs - Cut out the side to make a big scoop or garden shovel, cut off
the top and use as a funnel, fill with water and freeze to use in coolers, or
cut off top and use bottom to store toilet brush.
- Plastic margarine tubs and whipped topping bowls
- Plastic
yoghurt cups with lids can store craft objects.
- Potpourri
grown a bit stale : Stuff old socks with potpourri, tie them and hang them in closets
for a wonderful smell.
- Pour 1- 2" of cement in the bottom of the can and insert a 12" metal hollow
pipe bigger around than your tent poles. When dry and hard, punch a small hole
1" from top edge. Put in tent pole and tie to can through the hole. This will
keep your tent from blowing away in a strong wind. Make one for each corner.
This is also good for shade tarps used at craft bazaars and fairs.
- Pour old baking soda from the refrigerator down your drain to freshen.
- Recycle: Milk Jug lids-: Use as paint palettes. One for each colour. Wash or
throw away when finished.
- Save empty plastic eggs that come out of bubble gum type machines: They can be
used like plastic Easter eggs at Easter or to store small pieces of jewellery
and keep earrings together.
- Save milk jugs, and use to store bathroom cleaning accessories. Use to hold
your toilet brush cleaner, and then just discard when dirty.
- Save plastic mesh bags to hold small items you want to run through the
dishwasher, use to scrub dishes, or place items in to drip dry. Use old TV
dinner trays to reheat food in the microwave. Cut off the tops of empty
plastic milk cartons to use as funnels. Pour old baking soda from the
refrigerator down your drain to freshen. Use pantyhose to hang onions and
potatoes in your pantry. Store in leg section, with knots in between
vegetables. Hang from the ceiling.
- Save plastic mesh bags to hold small items you want to run through the
dishwasher, use to scrub dishes, or place items in to drip dry.
- Save plastic milk containers, fill with water and freeze. Use in camper
iceboxes or coolers. Also these can be used to freeze colour water or juices
in for later use in a punch bowl.
- Save small plastic containers for children's drinks. Glass breaks and can
be dangerous.
- Save the bags from cereal boxes, wipe clean of cereal "dust" with damp paper
towel, then use to store veggies in the crisper. The vegetables stay crisp
and tasty twice as long.
- Save the packaging from convenience food and make your own. Fill TV dinner
trays with your own leftovers; Jell-O and pudding cups with similar food, etc.
- Save the plastic bags that come with your newspaper for packing items for
trips and camping. I know they say not to do it, but I've been known to empty
my vacuum bags and reuse them.
- Save the stubs of candles in a coffee can. Melt all the scraps together.
Insert a wick to make a new candle.
- Save your store bought-bread bags and ties--they make perfect storage bags for
homemade bread. (Don't turn them inside out. The labels are painted on the out
sides of the bags with lead-based paint.)
- Slip one on your foot before putting on galoshes of snow boots. These will
keep your feet dry in case the boots leak.
- Store toys with small parts, such as Lego, in mesh or
stocking bags. That way, children can easily see the part they want and so
straight to it and they won't need to tip the whole bag out just to find one
little piece.
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Toilet tissue tubes or
paper towel tubes: Stuff with plastic grocery store bags. - 3 fit in a roll
and 6-7 fit in a paper towel tube.
- Use as a watering jug for plants.
- Use baby food jars to store small items. Screw the lid to the top of a shelf
to save space.
- Use film canisters to store small items (like sewing notions) and small
amounts of paint.
Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords in. It keeps them neat
and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
- Use ice cube trays for storage of small items.
- Use old shower curtains as drop cloths when you paint.
- Use old socks for washrags. Place them over your hand for easy dusting.
- Use as
Popsicle sticks plant stakes for small plants.
- Use pantyhose to hang onions and potatoes in your pantry. Store in leg
section, with knots in between vegetables. Hang from the ceiling.
- Use plain baking soda or salt as a fire extinguisher.
- Use
old plastic bags for trash.
- Use the tabs on aluminium cans to hang pictures. Just tack them to the back of
the frame, or glue on with a hot glue gun.
Use the plastic to keep extra plastic bags stored in another plastic bag.
- Use
empty toilet paper roll to hold down something that has been hot glued. This way you don't burn
your fingers.
- Use
empty toilet paper roll to store bandages, ointments, etc: for a travel first aid kit.
- Use worn out sewing machine needles to hang pictures Use old newspapers for
cleaning glass and windows. Use old dryer sheets to dust. Place them on the
bottom of garbage cans and other areas of the house to eliminate odours.
- When you boil potatoes, always save the water. Use it in soups and stews, or
cool it and use it to fertilize your house plants.
