I have been moved out to the country and the city does not provide trash-pick up as a part of the water bill. It costs $25 a month for that service. So I wanted to come up with more ways to reduce and reuse. I normally do anyway but now it is even more important. I can burn trash but the weather hasn't been all that great.
Backing for Patterns
As I open food boxes from the kitchen, I flatten them and use them as a backing for patterns I trace off the internet. I use my lighted PC screen as a light box. I transfer these tracings onto the flattened boxes so they last longer.
Cardboard Foot Stool
The biggest problem has been cardboard boxes, which I have solved! I cut a stack about 18 inches high and dinner plate sized circles. I pieced several 1/2 circles together when the pieces got to small for whole ones and taped them together. Then, I taped several small stacks together for easier handling. I got an old clothing item, cut the hem off and made a strong tie and tied the ends together securely. Previously I crocheted a round rag rug that I put a drawstring of crocheted rag chain to form a bag. I slipped my stacked cardboard down into the bag and hooked it shut securely. Now, I have a very comfy footstool and plan on making a few more but larger around. These could also be made into a booster seat just the same way and covered with your choice of sturdy fabric or whatever. Make them whatever diameter you need!
Soup Cans
In addition to that I save some soup cans, rinse them out to use for meat drippings. I have a few covered ones for catchalls and pencil holders. Of course the cans could be used for basically crush resistant mail tubes too. My son had a teacher who recycled hers for cute little gift buckets when there was a class party filled with goodies and candies! Normally she painted a theme on them!
Crochet With Plastic
I crocheted an appliance plastic, which was pretty good size into a nice patio rug and added blue fringe made from a new blue trash sack.
Paper Beads
I also make paper beads from other papers I accumulate! I love it.
Source: I came up with these ideas while trying to keep from paying for trash pick-up service! It's working!
angeltrumpet: the wine bottles: use for tapered candle holders, cut them & invert them sand off the edges & they can become wine glasses (goblets) I saw those on eHow or Instructables, I saw really cool rings that were made from the necks of alcohol bottles : they were cut just below the top. Here are several things you can do with empty wine bottles : http://www.instructables.com/tag/?s ... %3Atype%3Aid=on&q=melted+wine+bottle
Here's a video HOW TO for melting a wine bottle in the toaster oven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubnpp6FbXgg&feature=player_embedded but if you look on eHow or Instructables there are written tutorials too. the cheese plates they make sell for $26 - $30 on 2 different sites I looked at! So, maybe that's a little extra income for someone ! ;) Google : bottle jewelry. I love the bottle rim rings.
I live in Costa Rica in an area that does not have garbage pickup. Fortunately a nearby town does take recyclable plastic, glass, tin cans and aluminum cans. But I have discovered that I like to keep and clean some glass jars to use for leftovers to go in the fridge. I like them better than tupperware or the like because you can see what is in them and we tend to actually use the leftovers more this way Also, I have used Styrofoam as a pin cushion. Styrofoam will never decompose in a land fill, and is harmful to burn. I save the Styrofoam "plates" which come with some fresh meats and wash them well and reuse them for working with crafts. You can put paint in them, or glue which can easily be washed out and reused again. I even used one once to make a doll bed and covered it in cloth. I am still trying to find ideas for used wine bottles, so anybody got any ideas?
One of my treasured necklaces is made of beads from old church Sunday bulletins. I like to think that because the beads are recycled church bulletins that God smiles when I wear this necklace. I purchased my necklace at a church fundraising sale. The necklaces were very popular at the sale when the women found out the source of the beads. You can go around and collect the used bulletins after church and help clean up the sanctuary at the same time. That way you'll have more beads using the same colors.
I have a friend who uses the lighter weight cardboard and makes post cards she does not say hello whoever or sign it, we know where it's from she is the only 1 we know that does this so we know it's from her and she even jots down little notes on the printed side of the recycled cereal box and post cards are cheaper than regular mail, another use for the lighter weight cardboard, I cut them to size and use them as dividers in my recipe box. I use the cereal boxes as Magazine organizers and holders On the heavier cardboard I use it is nesting boxes for my chickens, or bring them to the feed store then they use them when they sell small animals. You can roll cardboard instead of cutting it in small pieces cut it in long strips the desired height and you could either roll or accordion fold it to make your foot stool If you do it correctly you could even make a step stool for the kitchen, you can make a emergency stove burner, take a clean tuna can and cut a strip of cardboard the height of the can, then roll the strip of cardboard so it will fit tightly inside the can melt old candle and pour the hot wax over the cardboard makes a great little camp stove or in emergency stove save a large can to use as support over you're cardboard burner, cut a few slits in it for air circulation Cut them to use as a spacers or support in the freezer If I have a floppy or uneven container.
I bury Cans in my vegetable garden open side up they hold the moisture and as they rust they put needed iron into the ground. I need to replace them every two or 3 years.
I use bread, English muffin and bagel bags rolled up on themselves as starter pots.
I save all my broken glass and even intentionally break some and run it through my tumbler and make my own beach glass for craft project and I make wind chimes out of bottles.
That is wonderful! I always soak my cardboard in used dishwater to soften it and then roll it in a ball after tearing it into pieces, it makes less waste that way....I always reuse grocery bags and fill them with trash also and then put those little bags into big bags....I have to reduce trash so that I don't get more bags on garbage day then they will pick up...those are great ideas though!
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