Earth Day - Recycling

 

The grandkids are busy trying to find items to make for school recycle projects for earth day. For the heart shaped rug we are using cut up grocery bags (it takes a lot!)

I found quite a few You Tube videos with great ideas.

Recycle Detergent Containers

Recycle Glass Jars

Repurpose Wine Bottles

Crochet Rugs from Shopping Bags

Repurpose T-Shirts

Making Plarn from Grocery Bags

Rugs from Grocery Bags

Recycle Cans

Uses for Drawers

I found a new site this morning MyLove2Create.com. Hop on over and look at some great ideas to reuse items and save money. I thought this planter was a good use for an old drawer.

Using Newspaper in the Fireplace

I haven't tried this, but have heard of others who use rollers to roll newspaper and use the rolls as logs to cut down on the use of wood. Save your newspaper throughout the year (I use mine to lay down before adding mulch in the garden). Tightly roll a 2" stack of papers (discard the glossy advertisements) and "tie" with a piece of wire coathanger (it can be discarded after the newspaper burns).

Reusing Milk Containers

Plastic milk containers can have a variety of uses.

• Cut the bottom off and use as a cloche for seedlings. (Take the cap off to allow air to circulate)
• Poke holes in the bottom and put next to a plant or bury part of it in the ground. Fill with water. It acts as a drip system
• Cut off the bottom for a plant saucer, put under potted plants (you will want it about an inch or more in depth)
• Cut the top off, leaving the handle in tact. Keep in the kitchen for scraps that can be easily transferred to your compost pile
• If you like to camp out, take an empty milk jug, fill with water and leave in the sun. You'll have hot water for washing dishes (or yourself) at the end of the day.
• For smaller milk containers, cut the top off leaving the handle in tact and use it as a scoop
• Cut off the top and use it as a funnel.
• Cut a square in one side, leaving a depth of around 1 ½” for birdseed. This works great on the cardboard milk cartons. If you have young children/grandchildren they love to paint them. Put string in the top and hang from a tree.
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More ideas here

Recycle Newspaper

I stopped having the newspaper delivered years ago, but my neighbors still receive them and pass them on to me. By using the newspaper on flower beds, you need less mulch.

Place the newspaper around any areas where you are going to put mulch. It helps if you water it down so keep a watering can handy. Place mulch on top. The newspaper is biodegradable.

Note: I asked someone from my organic garden club if there was a problem with this and she said newspaper ink is now made from soy so is environment friendly.

Recycling

I found a great blog today for recycling (I try and use everything twice before throwing it away).

Hop on over to Recycle Crafts

Trash Day Treasures

I had never thought of picking up trash for re-purposing, but lately I've found some treasures. I walk in the neighborhood most evenings so the day before trash day I sometimes find items that I can reuse. An old rusty chandelier find I sold at a yard sale sans prisms as I plan to turn those into angel Christmas ornaments for gifts. I found a box of Disney movie videos my grandchildren love to watch (I still have an old video player) and one of the videos was about local Fort Worth history so that was an added bonus. We also came across clothes racks which we will use for our next yard sale to hang clothes on (we had to walk back to the car to pick up those). And in addition to finding treasures we're saving the mound of trash in the landfill - win win.

Note: Often people discard items not sold at yard sales so stop by the following day and see if there is anything left at the curb you might be able to use.

Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags

I seem to collect too many plastic bags from the grocery store and although I use them to line waste baskets. I still have many more that I've been looking for a use for.

After doing an internet search, I found lots of free patterns for crochet rugs and bags, but I used a pattern that I had when I made rugs out of old sheets and table cloths (tear or cut strips into one inch widths to make a material rug)

Apparently, the bags that are cut for crochet use are called plarn (plastic yarn).

Fold the bag lengthways several times

Cut the handles and bottom off

Cut into 1 1/2" strips across the bag

Loop each piece together.

For pictured instructions hop on over to bagsbegone.com/learn

More ideas here

The finished rug is surprisingly soft