We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Who wants a Rampant Recycler badge?

24

Comments

  • Fab recycling and re-use everyone!

    More badges handed out! Keep them coming :)
    Could you do with a Money Makeover?


    Follow MSE on other Social Media:
    MSE Facebook, MSE Twitter, MSE Deals Twitter, Instagram
    Join the MSE Forum
    Get the Free MoneySavingExpert Money Tips E-mail
    Report inappropriate posts: click the report button
    Point out a rate/product change
    Flag a news story: news@moneysavingexpert.com
  • UnluckyT
    UnluckyT Posts: 486 Forumite
    What an inspiration.

    I've become so naughty with not recycling more. I've noticed my rubbish bin is far too full for 1 person, although I do the paper/food and other recycling.
    I have 2 composers in garden and like to have a rummage in charity shops and donate to charity shops.
    I'm also trying to be minimalist and had a cul of bits I no longer need/use
  • Show us your next really good recycling or, even, upcycling and we'll give you a badge UnluckyT! :)
    Could you do with a Money Makeover?


    Follow MSE on other Social Media:
    MSE Facebook, MSE Twitter, MSE Deals Twitter, Instagram
    Join the MSE Forum
    Get the Free MoneySavingExpert Money Tips E-mail
    Report inappropriate posts: click the report button
    Point out a rate/product change
    Flag a news story: news@moneysavingexpert.com
  • nobby1963
    nobby1963 Posts: 355 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    Since moving down to sunny Devon we have really tried hard to recycle as much as we can.
    Once you get into it it becomes second nature, our 'black bag ' rubbish is now minimal as we make a conscious effort to leave as much bulky packaging on large purchases at the retailer from whom we are buying from, with food shopping we avoid items in elaborate unnecessary packaging and of course recycle all glass,plastic and paper etc as poss.
    It's our planet after all !
    Nobby.
    SMA 4000TL Inverter, 17 REC 235PE Panels, South facing, roof angle \ `ish, 3995 watt system.Installed Nov 2011.
  • scarlet55
    scarlet55 Posts: 21,780 Forumite
    Rampant Recycler
    edited 27 June 2015 at 12:23PM
    I recycle most things - books clothes ect go to the charity shop.
    Old quilt covers and curtains I give to a friend who makes cushions and bunting which she then sells on a car boot for charity.

    I've de-clutted my cupboards and given pots and pans to neighbours or family.

    I've had an under counter freezer in my shed for about 2 years, which still works, and have now given it to my daughter for use in her outdoor utility room (better than going to landfill)

    All garden waste gets collected by the council, as does the recycling bin (which I only put out every 6 weeks)
    If I have any glass bottles I give them to my daughter who takes them to a bottle bank.

    I'm sure there's lots more I do but can't think at the mo :)

    Edit: I never take free bags from the supermarket as I always take my re-usable ones when I do my shopping.
  • I was given a relative's old parasol when they bought one that matched their garden fence. Instead of buying a parasol base, I use a brick that I'd been using as a doorstop for the back gate - the parasol fits into the middle hole :D
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Recycling is a way of life here

    Zero food waste. What doesn't go in our tums heads to the dog bowl, chickens or the compost

    Chicken waste - compost

    Junk mail and carboard packaging - fire lighters

    Toilet paper tubes - veg seed planters.

    Pep bottles - cloches for tender seeds

    Butter wrappers, saved to grease baking pans

    Flat soft drinks - used to clean the loo

    Any wood comes our way, be it an old door or skirting or pallet, chopped up into kindling unless it can be used as it is in the garden

    Garden pond built from reclaimed bricks from a neighbours out house

    Green house built from the replaced double glazing

    Books and DVDs, bought from charity shops and second hand book shops,either exchanged when read/watched or re donated

    Clothes, donated to charity shops when no longer worn. Old worn sheets and towels, odd socks - used as cleaning cloths then sent for ragging

    Garden cuttings - compost

    We never use carrier bags, always take our own and if we forget, just tough, grab a box.

    Packed lunches use old bread bags and lunch boxes

    Baking parchment and foil is reused and reused till no longer usable

    For a family of three adults we wouldn't have more then a small kitchen bin of rubbish a week. Our recycling blue bin would be half full every fortnight but our council does take almost anything. What they don't take in the blue bin we drop off at the depot as we head into town.
  • sweetpea26
    sweetpea26 Posts: 831 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    edited 5 July 2015 at 11:17PM
    Recycling has always been a way of life for those of us who live in the countryside. Its seen as essential to pass on furniture and household items. Old buildings demolished with the materials being put to use in the building being rebuilt. Kindling collected and fallen trees all cut and used to provide heat and water. Pine cones make super fire-lighters and sprinkled with oils they are excellent for scenting a room.

    We mulch with grass cuttings compost everything we can and recycle glass paper etc. I use cardboard quite a bit in the garden under the hedges to keep the nettles down. I do not use pesticides of any kind. We use home made compost and well rotted manure from the animals as feed for roses trees etc. Nettle liquid feed is so easy to make too. Saves a fortune and is so good for the ground and plants.

    All left over food is either ate the next day or frozen for another. Scraps go to the cats/birds or whatever creature wants to eat them during the night .. we have a family of foxes at the bottom of our field (We do not have chickens yet!!) and an odd little badger too.

    Children's clothes have always been passed to a friend and vice versa. They are all grown up now and when things are worn out they go to the charity shop for rags.

    I make cleaning cloths from old towels t-shirts etc. I love old tea towels that can be picked up for very little in charity shops. They are of excellent quality and to buy similar today can be very expensive. I recently purchased two top of the range double duvets for £4 each. They were taken home given a good wash and were as good as new.

    We have thermal blinds funded by an ebay blitz a few years back and these really help to keep the heat leaving the house. Heavy curtains at exterior doors are a great help too. I laid extra insulation 2 winters ago in the attic space. Tough job but worth it.

    I love wood furniture and scour charity shops in search of solid well made pieces. I love the 40's and its a style that can blend well with modern furniture too.

    I line dry my washing and have lines in a barn for wet days.

    We grow vegetables, fruits and we forage for blackberries in the hedges.

    If I need anything for the house say casserole dish cutlery etc..I watch the charity shops until the suitable item is found. I love this way of shopping. :)

    I plant little tree seedlings that I find in the hedgerows into pots and when they are big enough they are transplanted into spaces in hedges on our land. Nettles are allowed to flourish in the corner of some fields and the grass left long for the wildlife to shelter. We have planted many native hedges on our land and around our garden. We have an abundance of birds who nest there. I have been known to find a worm under a pot and carry to it another part of the garden to live :):) Mad woman :)

    Rain water is collected in any container that we can find and old kitchen dishes full of rain water are great for catching the slugs..no need for slug pellets.

    Used teabags are placed in pot plants to let the goodness run out and then composted. Cold tea is a great house plant liquid food too. So being green is not some new fangled idea its how things were done by ordinary people who had to watch every penny for generations.
  • WestonDave
    WestonDave Posts: 5,154 Forumite
    Rampant Recycler
    I think my best upcycling was after I bought my first house. I was rather short on ready cash and was brought up to only spend what I had. So whilst I had a TV and video from my student days I didn't have anything useful to put them on in the corner of the living room. That was until we had a new server delivered at work - this was about 16 years ago and it was a bit of a beast so it came on its own pallet. Installers did their stuff and left the pallet for us to dispose of. Looking closely at it I realised that it had a fairly nice looking plywood top. So I took it home, sanded it off, put some legs on it from wood I had lying around and voila one TV table. The best part was that the slot where the forklift prongs go in to lift it was exactly the right size for the video.

    The funny part was that we got rather used to it so it stayed there for about 6 years - long after we could have afforded a new TV table.

    I've also (with permission) rescued ride on toys for the kids from a neighbours skip and also rescued a load of Celotex offcuts from another neighbours building project to enable me to block up some now unwanted vent holes.

    Finally our family helped make a video which has been used online to promote recycling. It was good fun making it and perhaps more importantly because of the questions we had to answer "on camera" made us all think about why we recycle.
    Adventure before Dementia!
  • Yeah recycling of anything can make your product reusable. As the population increases, natural resources decreases. So, it is beneficial for the human beings to save natural resources and reuse the products which are made from them. If anyone here who wants to know the nearest recycle centers from your location then recyclenation.com is the solution for you. Find here from the large database.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.5K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.