Who wants a Rampant Recycler badge?

Babafette · 14 July 2015 at 11:09PM

I like to think of myself as a rampant recycler.

We recycle all our cardboard, paper, plastic, glass, batteries and metal. I also send my used printer cartridges and Tassimo coffee pods off by post to be recycled. Usually we just have one small carrier bag of landfill waste every two weeks.

Food waste is composted by our local council and we leave scraps out for the birds, foxes and badgers.

We collect rainwater in two water butts and compost any grass clippings and garden waste. We take plastic plant pots back to the nurseries and garden centres to be reused or recycled and we pass on any wood from felled trees on our land to several of our neighbours who have wood burning stoves.

I buy some clothing and second hand books from charity shops and often pass on spare bubble wrap, brown paper, tissue paper and carrier bags for them to reuse. Any usable household goods go to charity or get put on Freecycle.

I also always carry a reusable or jute bag with me so I don't have to use plastic bags.

Lastly I collect driftwood from the beach to give to my neighbour who makes carvings and sculptures and is kindly passing on his skills to me.

debtfreeoneday · 2 September 2015 at 2:27PM

We do all the usual stuff in terms of recycling what we are able to / cutting down on packaging etc.

However since moving into this house we have tried to reuse whatever we have taken out. Horrible fireplace was knocked down - bricks from that reused to make steps in the garden and a surround for one of the water butts. After cutting down a few dangerous trees, we made the trunks / branches into a playhouse for our little people and saved so much money on not buying one.

We used a pallet that a delivery came on to make a shoe rack for our hall.

We found two huge lengths of wood under a mountain of stuff in the conservatory and used them to make a mantlepiece for the new fireplace.

We are really enjoying reusing and recycling things rather than chucking stuff away and it's nice to see things from the original house remaining with the house, just being used in a more up to date and useful way!

heartbreak_star · 8 September 2015 at 2:18PM

I make little purses out of old crisp bags for friends' kids - it's remarkably easy!

Old clothes get recycled into hobby kit or broken down for rags.

Use carbolic soap for laundry - saves on packaging and keeps my washer un-musty.

Generally attempting to make things instead of buying them - OH made me a beautiful seat in the garden from timber offcuts

Will post more as I think of them!

HBS x

jimjames · 13 September 2015 at 9:50PM

I bring home coffee grounds from cafe at work to use on compost and to improve soil.

We will make meals from leftovers so nothing edible goes to waste. None of our raw food waste gets landfilled, either goes to chickens, rabbits or on compost heap. Or I just eat it!

Grass cuttings again either to chickens, rabbits or compost. Wood beams from a demolished garage has been stored and now used to construct loft boarding to raise the insulation level so we now have between 300mm and 400mm of insulation in the loft.

Probably our biggest is reusing large containers used for shipping juices to store water in a harvesting system. We probably have over 2000 litres of storage across the different barrels which make a massive difference to watering the garden over the summer.

davemorton · 13 September 2015 at 11:00PM

I recycle beer bottles from my local pub to put my home brew in. Built part of my greenhouse in old bricks destined for the tip, and bought second hand glass from ebay, all to grow my own toms and grapes.

JuzaMum · 18 September 2015 at 9:43AM

I recycle, compost, harvest rainwater etc...

Here are two recycling projects of mine

I made a handbag out of old childrens clothes that were too worn out to be passed on. I cut the clothes into strips and knitted them together (I am a beginner knitter so not very sophisicated knitting), used a ripped duvet cover as lining and two zips from long gone clothing.

I also made a cover for a tatty futon chair from a book of upholstery samples. The futon mattress orginal cover was not removable so could only be sponge cleaned.

JuzaMum

roy.boy1 · 31 August 2016 at 5:08AM

hi guys i worked in the waste industry
and ive seen many things go to waste that could be re used
so a total re use of any thing is possible
ive seen old plastic toys and plastic patio chairs ground down in to pellets and re used to make VANDEL PROOF PARK AND BUS SHELTER SEATING it was brilliant
so when im at home and my appliences don't work brake down ETC if i can i will fix it and if its beyond help
i will strip it completely and recycle every thing from wire to nuts & bolts
so i can re use on other things
every thing has value so dont just throw away
look at what it has to offer you in spares
ive even sold my old washing machine for £40 none working as i know it has value to some one
the circuit bords & motors on these things cost £100+
so just becuse your pump packed in look at what you have left its got value £££
and see if you can re sell it for parts if your no good at takeing items apart or then re use the money it makes to help replace it
remember RECYCLE A 1000 PARTS AND DISGUARD ONLY 1 THATS BROKEN happy salvaging guy & gals

cloudwalker_3 · 28 January 2017 at 1:26PM

We recycle with an absolute passion in our house.

We have two bags for general recycling (one in the kitchen and one in the living room) and a food recycling bin in the kitchen (although we prefer to cook up leftovers rather than chuck them away if we can).

We're lucky enough to live in a London borough with a great recycling policy too so we can put everything into the bags except lightweight plastic film. Consequently we normally only have a full general waste bin once a month. Woohoo!

Can I get a badge now please?

I_Love_comps · 11 June 2017 at 8:59AM

In our household all paper is placed in the recycling bins.
All tins and plastics that can be recycled go in the recycling bins.

Any thing I do not want anymore is recycled by donating the items to charity.

Plastic bags are reused either as bin bags or for shopping.

I have a wooden kitchen roll holder, this originally was a mug holder but was never used for that purpose - I got hubby to saw of the arms so I could use it as a Kitchen roll holder.

Worn out clothes/towels are used for lagging the tap outside in Winter, so it does not freeze.

I would like to be considered for a badge please.

MoneyMate · 11 June 2017 at 11:46AM

Check and double check all waist B4 leave for bin men or recycling centres.

Who wants a Rampant Recycler badge?

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