I've done some thinking in the past few years.
Having lived in the country for most of my responsible life (past age 6), I'm pretty used to burning my garbage, rather than bagging it and having someone come pick it up and haul it away.
The point of stating that, was to state this: After thinking about it, I've come to the conclusion that I can't think of a single thing - that will burn reasonably in my back yard firepit - that isn't EASILY recyclable.
Given that, I've decided that I should add some kind of helpful input to the community, both here and at large, so I've started this thread.
I'd like to see everything that everyone has done at home to help with recycling. Not the
REDUCE part. Not the act of bagging/tying it up and sending it away with the rest of the recyclables.
I want to see how you're - WE'RE - all
REUSING things in OUR households.
For instance:
1.) The large box of Kix (favorite cereal) measures nearly 10" x 12" w/h... the average sheet of legal paper is 8.5" x 11". Empty your box of Kix, cut it in half along it's depth, so you have two pieces that are both 10"x12"x~2" deep, and tape cover/decorate them as necessary.
Take them to the office with you, or place them in your home office, you've now created mail boxes.
Any cereal box can easily be cut and covered nicely to create anything ranging from a bookend (with weight) to a magazine holder.
2.) Drink coffee? Grow plants?
* 1tsp of used coffee grounds will act as fertilizer for many household plants, due to the nitrates and caffeine in the coffee grounds.
* Keep an old butter dish handy with some clean, rinsed coffee grounds in it. When you're especially greasy (from doing your EV swap), take a finger full of coffee grounds and some dish soap. Works like pumice, only cheaper.
* Put 1-2 OZ of used (dry) coffee grounds in an old sock. Place it in a closet to help ward off odd odors.
3.) Cleaned/dried/crushed eggshells make a great additive to create texture on some projects.
4.)The average prescription pill bottle holds ~$10 in quarters... which might come in handy some day. (Always remove the label from old pill bottles, even OTC pills.. someone might mistake whatever's in it for whatever the label says.)
5.)What do you do when you're done with the butter dish? Do you purchase plastic storage bowls? Think about it for a second, then get back to me.
These are very small steps, but every little bit helps. Maybe you can think of something else?
I leave this thread up to you, my friends. Anything you can think of that might aid the effort!
There is only ONE condition:
Whatever you post here must be an opportunity to REUSE something that is normally considered "trash" by the general public.