Recycle Week: Re-use, Recycle and Save Money

squeezedmillennial

Just discovered this thread and enjoying the tips. We're big re-users in this house, and prioritise reuse over recycling for everything we can. Right now I'm:

-Waiting for my partner's roll up deodorant bar to be used up so I can refill with my homemade deodorant recipe (basis = coconut oil, cornflour and tea tree oil. It works really well, promise!)
-Using solid bar shampoo to reduce packaging, and use solid body soap too. I also wash my hair every other day to minimise the amount I use.
-Using old bedsheets (for double bed, we've got a kingsized in this flat) to make a heat retention cooker. It's going to test my sewing skills, but will save money on electric as well as using up a waste product. It's so hard to donate bedsheets, so really glad to finally put them to use .
-Looking for options to reduce the amount of packaging that comes with our weekly shop. There's a new farmers market opening near by on Sundays so hoping that will mean we can at least by veg and meat without packaging.

Margaret54

Hi everyone have really enjoyed reading all of the posts and have written down many of them. It is so important to recycle and I am enjoying doing it too.

BEAT_THE_DEBT

I reuse sandwich bags and foil. I also use the ribbon ties you get from clothes to hang them up I cut them and use for presents . I reuse good plastic containers to store things esp celebration tubs and Chinese. Do I get a nice badge?

HelleBelle

Beat the debt - I do that too with the hanging ribbons! They make perfect gift tag ribbons!

I make my own gift tags from old cards
We have sandwich boxes - no bags or foil
reuse old carrier bags as bin liners
We used to use our shredded paper for the gerbils' bedding when we had them
junk mail makes great scrap paper for the kids
bean/soup etc cans make great pen pots
cut up and freeze any fruit that's going over for smoothies - dump it straight in the blender with some milk or yoghurt negating the need for ice
big fan of freecycle - really helped us out when we got our first place and I try and pay it back whenever I can. Also fantastic with kids stuff.

Treasurequeen

When lavender and roses have flowered in the garden I pick the heads and petals and make my own natural pot pourri. Natural and eco friendly and lasts longer than normal pot pourri, also keeps the moths at bay.

Crush up egg shells and coffee grounds and put around plants in the garden to give them nutrients and no waste.

Shredding all unwanted paperwork and place it in the compost bin.
Sprouting ginger, I put it in a baked bean tin and grow my own ginger. Takes a while but you get more for your money.
When buying carnations in the supermarket I take cuttings put them in water in a vase once roots appear they go in the garden. Two plants in one, and more for your money. The cuttings come up in the garden each year.

Coffee grounds are also recycled and made into a homemade coffee body scrub with some sugar, great for cellulite and improving circulation.

Old pieces of broken jewellery is recycled and made into new pieces, from trash to treasures and then given as gifts.

robbyfine

I personally believe that recycling reduces air pollution and water pollution. It helps extend natural resources and it saves you money! Here is a great stuff on how to tackle the global environmental problems - http://planetaryproject.com/global_problems/eco/. Enjoy reading!

Wizzbang

Hi everyone,

It's Zero Waste week here in the UK and I'd encourage everyone to get involved because recycling is not the answer to our waste problem!

Start here:
http://www.zerowasteweek.co.uk

upoiupou

Wizzbang wrote: »

Hi everyone,

It's Zero Waste week here in the UK and I'd encourage everyone to get involved because recycling is not the answer to our waste problem!

Thank you! I think there's a weird idea about recycling which often goes along the lines that using loads of stuff then recycling it is economical and environmentally friendly. ???

I'm a bit confused about zero waste though. It seems to be about using things up or re-using them. "Reducing waste through reuse, recycling and repurposing material for a longer life".

What happened to plain old "reduce"? That is, not buying it, buying only as much as you need, simplifying, choosing things with less packaging, etc. Completely missing from this thread title. Surely, reduce is first, above re-using and recycling?

But re-purposing and re-using above recycling, for sure.

Wizzbang

upoiupou wrote: »

Thank you! I think there's a weird idea about recycling which often goes along the lines that using loads of stuff then recycling it is economical and environmentally friendly. ???

I'm a bit confused about zero waste though. It seems to be about using things up or re-using them. "Reducing waste through reuse, recycling and repurposing material for a longer life".

What happened to plain old "reduce"? That is, not buying it, buying only as much as you need, simplifying, choosing things with less packaging, etc. Completely missing from this thread title. Surely, reduce is first, above re-using and recycling?

But re-purposing and re-using above recycling, for sure.

I'm not the greatest fan of the website I mentioned, but I linked to it since it is the main source for Zero Waste UK week. I suggest you read Bea Johnson's book- Zero Waste Home for a more complete understanding. But her website has lots of info too. You are entirely correct- Reduce is the 1st step. She cites the 5 R's- I found a link for 6!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/designsocialrev9.shtml

Katiehound

I've just found a new use for old curtain header tape, especially when the cords have been knotted.

I buy (or given) curtains from charity shops & car boots. They're recycled as covers for doggy duvets which I sell for charity. But this year I've had some lovely bright designs, far too good for dogs to lay on!
So have started to make lined shopping bags, and the curtain tape when cut in half lengthways makes wonderful stiffening for the bag handles. Already sold a few for the charity "Dogs for Good".I'm hoping to reach £1k by the end of the year- that will be £500 per year all from recycled stuff- most of which would have ended in landfill