The Re-use thread

[* star *]

Shop at second hand stores, flea markets, give and take days and car boot sales for great reusable bargains.

[Emma]

Hi there everyone,

I was particularly interested in this thread, as it is all about second-use ideas. The reason I'm interested is because I work for Junkk.com which is a website where people can search for second-use ideas for everyday items that usually get thrown away. Alternatively, people who have an idea can post them up too.

They say (I'm not sure whom though!) that everyone has at least one good book inside them - well we feel that everyone has at least 10 good second-use ideas in them!

[seven]

They say (I'm not sure whom though!) that everyone has at least one good book inside them - well we feel that everyone has at least 10 good second-use ideas in them!

Quite right, just takes a bit of creative thinking

[Emma]

Originally Posted by seven

Quite right, just takes a bit of creative thinking

Couldn't agree more - and a great audience for that is children. Which has just reminded me of the Fairy Washing up Liquid advert where the child waits for weeks and weeks for his mum to finish the bottle so he can make it into something else for a school project.

[seven]

Do kids still make things out of rubbish in school like we used to?

[Emma]

Absolutely! In fact many children now know more about second use and recycling than their parents. The schools in this area are quite active about 'green issues' and encourage the children to use their imaginations to build monsters/robots/play houses etc from rubbish for projects. In fact some children are now telling off thier parents for chucking things away!

[seven]

In fact some children are now telling off thier parents for chucking things away!

haha, brilliant. Now thats the sort of thing that will really make a difference. Do you think we can get kids to stop their parents buying SUV's now?

[Emma]

Well nothing is impossible...and kids are pretty influential, but perhaps not that influential!

[seven]

Originally Posted by Emma

Well nothing is impossible...and kids are pretty influential, but perhaps not that influential!

They're so blooming big though, the kids must need a stepladder to get in the things

[GreenAmber]

there's also freecycle for getting rid of stuff (or getting more stuff - but at least it's not going in landfill!)

Store carrier bags to be re-used in a big plastic bottle with a whole cut in the side.

I use large yoghurt pots with lids on as freezer containers when I make extra sauce for chilli, etc (vegetarian of course!!)

Cut large plastic drinkd bottles in half and put them upside down over seedlings as a cloche (punch a couple of small holes in the top)

Cut a large drinks bottle in half and submerge it in your toilet cistern (cut a bit more off the top if it is not flushing 'thoroughly'!

(btw - I don't actually have many fizzy drinks bottles - and those I do have got to the re-cycling centre - but these are just ideas I've seen! )