RECYCLING

Tuesday January 11, 2011 10:11:27 AM

Rent DVD

• Always wash and rinse thoroughly before reusing. Do not let the milk dry or sour or the jug is useless.
• 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.
• Coat tips of knitting needles and crochet hooks that have been nicked and snag. It smoothes out the tip like new.
• 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.
• Cut in half through the middle and give to a child to use in a sand box.
• Cut off bottom off milk cartoons and leave lid on. This makes a great scoop for scooping potting soil.
• Cut off the top of empty plastic milk containers to desired height to make storage containers to fit in drawers.
• Cut open the top front and use to store loose items on a shelf decorate to match your bathroom.
• Don't throw away old towels, cut out the best parts and stitch them together to make a bath mat.
• 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.
• 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.
• Empty paper-towel roll - Store extension cords inside.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.