Recycling in the Home

se999

Hi,

Whenever I've used prepaid envelopes I always make sure the license bit is thoroughly crossed out or normally I try to cover it up with my stamps. I always cross out the return address too if any.

I've always assumed that otherwise as Squeaky says there is a chance the post office could charge the original company for it. This is 'iffy' normally, but I feel it is extremely bad to do this when some of these are charity mailshots.

The other downside is that the recipient could have to pay for insufficient postage, and I hate being woken up early in the morning when someone's sent something, and not put enough stamps on and I have to search for my purse half asleep to pay

Anyway, this is a good thread with good ideas, and re-using things sensibly & carefully is brilliant

Thought I'd better add a new thing too

Don't think we've had the idea of clothes/accessory swap parties yet, where normally for pre-teens/teens, they go through drawers and wardrobes and take the bits they don't wear anymore to one house, and swap with friends, so that they get something different that they might use/wear.

vijoli

It is very interesting to read all these recycling articles. I am all for recycling. A few years back I bought a frame on which a carrier bag could be hung for use as a dustbin. It was very useful because, unlike a dustbin, it was not heavy to carry and could be carried and thrown into the outside blackbin as and when I went out through the front door. However, now it is broken and I am looking for a replacement. I have searched numerous shops and search engines but cannot find any such thing! Can any of you help me?

bargainqueen_2

se999 wrote:

Thought I'd better add a new thing too

Don't think we've had the idea of clothes/accessory swap parties yet, where normally for pre-teens/teens, they go through drawers and wardrobes and take the bits they don't wear anymore to one house, and swap with friends, so that they get something different that they might use/wear.

I LOVE this idea! Why did no one do this when I was a pre teen/teen??? I might do that with my friends now actually, how cool! Thanks that has truly inspired me xx

Captain_Sensible

There are two of us in our little home (were 3 until our dear cat died recently)... we have almost got recycling down to fine art - in as much as our weekly rubbish usually fills no more than a single pedal bin liner... when we had our cat the used litter was a problem and certainly added substantially to this. (We would rather have our cat back than worry about litter disposal... ). Just to let you folks know - it is not difficult to substantially reduce rubbish... only wish everyone did this.

apprentice_tycoon

vijoli wrote:

It is very interesting to read all these recycling articles. I am all for recycling. A few years back I bought a frame on which a carrier bag could be hung for use as a dustbin. It was very useful because, unlike a dustbin, it was not heavy to carry and could be carried and thrown into the outside blackbin as and when I went out through the front door. However, now it is broken and I am looking for a replacement. I have searched numerous shops and search engines but cannot find any such thing! Can any of you help me?

I think that I've seen something like this in Bettaware or Kleeneze catalogues, anyone else know of one?

schoolfundraiser

One litre plastic milk bottles are better for freezing smooth soups in and can then go in the fridge door to defrost. A one litre bottle is about 3-4 servings. You can write on the label to say what it is or in permanent marker on the plastic ( which sometimes comes off when washed up and given a scrub with a plastic scourer.)

Millk left over before we go on holiday is put in the freezer to use afterwards in cooking. (it doesn't defrost back to quite its original state so can't be drunk or used on cereal. Ideal for scones cakes or pancakes though.)

The sides of plastic milk bottles can be cut up and used as plant markers with either labels or permanent marker pen.

Washing up bottles of course are fun water guns for kids in the summer. The bottoms of fizzy pop 2 litre bottles make good sandcastle moulds. Bottles part filled with water become skittles.

Small water bottles (750ml) are re-used for my daughter's packed lunch. Then I know how much she has drunk all day and can nag her accordingly. They never seem to drink enough at school! With 3 or 4 on the go you can last half a term although the sports tops are the weak point so wrap them in a supermarket bag in case of leaks. Washed and reused foil can be used to keep them cool if they are made up and put in the fridge overnight.

I also keep a litre squash bottle filled with water in the fridge in the summer for cool drinks - saves running the tap endlessly. (In the winter it is hot water in a thermos to save boiling the kettle - best for coffee not tea))

The middles of 2 litre bottles can be cut with jagged teeth on the top to use as anti- snail and slug collars for young plants. I also use the tops as cloches or again to protect such as young beans from snails. The rest of the bottle can be sent for recycling rather than chucked in the bin.

A friend told me that used cooking oil can be filtered and used in the car along with diesel ( don't know the exact percentage you will need to check) but that you have to declare it the Customs and Excise so you pay duty on it. Worth checking out if you have a car that runs on diesel. The rumour is that the exhaust smells of fish and chips!

I decant breakfast cereals into plastic jars when the packet is opened. The plastic inner when washed and opened out is useful to wrap things in for the freezer or as sandwich wrapping or to roll out icing or pastry on. The cardboard is recycled once flattened.

Cut up envelopes from junk mail make good telephone pads or shopping lists. Well you're tearing the plastic off to put them in the recycling anyway so why not divert a few to use to write on.

Loo rolls and egg boxes in small quantities can be put in the compost bin (take as long as autumn leaves to compost) as can shreddings. I buy my free range eggs by the tray (30) from the greengrocer but transfer them to reused egg boxes in the shop for easy transport.

On line Tesco shoppers can return used bags to the driver so I do so and only use other supermarket bags for other purposes. Charity shops may also welcome your surplus carriers.

I have always been an old style saver - probably due to a poor childhoood and parents who were brought up in the war! It has stood me in good stead over the years though. Must have saved me a lot of money in the past.

se999

Sorry if this sounds like a deviation, but clutter clearing and then selling things at carboots, amazon and ebay etc is 'recycling' in a way!!

Someone buying the things that are standing idle in your house, and them using them stops new products being purchased/manufactured.

It also hopefully generates some extra cash for you

There's also freecycle https://www.freecycle.org if you have things you want to pass on for free.

exlibris

"Talking Frame for recycling carrier bags
It is very interesting to read all these recycling articles. I am all for recycling. A few years back I bought a frame on which a carrier bag could be hung for use as a dustbin. It was very useful because, unlike a dustbin, it was not heavy to carry and could be carried and thrown into the outside blackbin as and when I went out through the front door. However, now it is broken and I am looking for a replacement. I have searched numerous shops and search engines but cannot find any such thing! Can any of you help me?"

Caravan and camping shops sell them. Look at them carefully though as some are designed to fasten onto a door.

sheng719

It is very nice to know that there is now a forun with regard to recycling. All of the tips that have been posted have been very helpful though most of them I have been doing for years. Is there someone out there knows about recycling clothes, linenes and other similar stuff? Many thanks!!!!

Suziebabe

What a brilliant thread! I've got some new ideas from this! A few points we use:

* loo roll insides are also good for starting off peas/sweet peas,
* egg cartons can be used for chitting potatoes
* a long one ... Waitrose were (may still be?) doing an offer where, if you took out their credit card, you got 5 re-usable bags for putting your shopping in, one of which was insulated. Didn't have to use the card to get them. We take these to supermarkets and then don't have to use carrier bags. Also, they're brilliant when you go no holiday (particularly with small kids) to hold toys, books etc, as they're rectangular they're easy to fit in the boot.
* pasta jars for screws etc in the garage. Only problem is, don't forget to label them, or they turn into 30 jars full of 'stuff' that still needs sorting out and you end up buying new screws etc if you're in a rush!
* ice-cream tubs for putting bagged portions into the freezer, then label the ice-cream tub rather than the bag.
* furniture - our local Salvation Army will collect unwanted furniture free (not soft furnishings unless its fire retardant) and it gets either sold on or re-used for helping people set up homes when they come out of care etc.