Reuse is the New Recycle

I’ve been lax in linking over to my BlogHer posts lately because I’m still finding my stride.  What works over there doesn’t necessarily work over here and vice versa.  Different audience.  Different format.  I can’t write stuff the same way.  Anyway, this week’s piece on repurposing recyclables seems relevant (and applicable to blog posts, too), so here it is.  Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there.

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Turning over your recycling to your town every week is great and everything, but think before you fling useful trash into the recycle bin.  Recycling still swallows resources and some materials may have plenty of remaining life before they progress on their spiritual path toward reincarnation.  Here are some ideas for getting extra mileage out of your food packaging through creative repurposing.

Egg cartons

Take a page from elementary schools across the country and start your sunflower seeds or other seedlings here.  Given my particular set of gardening skills, I don't have personal experience with this but it seems theoretically possible.
         

The blog at FamilyCorner.com has 18 more ways to reuse egg cartons.  Often, local farms are happy to take your extra egg cartons off your hands, too.

Milk cartons

The possibilities for milk jugs are endless: as scoops for the sandbox or filled with water to weigh down your sauerkraut during the fermentation process.  I also use mine as semi-disposable compost buckets. 
         

They’re light and have handles so I can send the kids up the hill to the compost bin.  They think it’s fun, and I delight in their convenient delusions.  Previous buckets have gotten disgusting after a while.  Milk jugs work well because when they get too gross, I just hose them down and then recycle.

DailyEcoTips also suggests using plastic milk bottles to protect young plants in the garden from non-human foragers.  The greenhouse effect is an added bonus.

Six-pack holders

Inspired by the local pub, these can be used as handy caddies for outdoor dining.  Carry utensils, condiments, and salt and pepper shakers back and forth to your picnic table.  Flatten one of the interior separators to fit napkins.  It also gives you a good excuse to pound beers.

Jars and bottles

I use empty spice bottles for bud vases and mason jars for larger arrangements.  That’s not true, exactly.  Husband does all the flower arranging around here.  I suck.

The Paisley Farmhouse has lots of other ideas for mason jars, too.

Anyone else?

Comments

[Sarah Twichell]

Milk jugs can also be used to make "irrigation" systems by filling poking holes in the bottom, setting them down, and filling with water. Leave the cap on to discourage mosquitos.

I spent $3 on a jar funnel that fits into the mouth of mason jars and now use them extensively for food storage. They freeze well too (just leave headspace!) and go in the microwave without their tops. We also drink out of the pint-size ones and use them to tote chai, iced coffee, or smoothies to work.

Cardboard egg cartons can be composted; plastic ones make really excellent individual seedling greenhouses.

[Sally]

Ahhh - everything old is new again! These hints were "new" when I was a young whipper-snapper and they still hold value. I'm glad to see you post this.

Happy Mother's Day Tammy! :)

[Janet]

I use the plastic boxes from strawberries and other produce in lunchboxes. They're good for things like veggie sticks that aren't sloppy but need some protection. The cherry tomato size ones are a good for sandwiches on bulkie rolls - too big for a tupperware, but they need a little pressure to hold them together. It's one less tupperware to get lost.

The large size make good organizers, too. My camping supplies are bunched up in them. They're transparent, so it's easy to find things. There are a couple in the junk drawer holding all the batteries and tape.

Egg cartons can be composted when the sprouts are grown. It's hard to find enough "brown" when it's not autumn.

[katie]

Best Mason Jar Trick (from Myscha Theriault @ Wisebread): thread them onto the blender in place of the blender pitcher and make salad dressings or dips or salsa or whatever, then just invert, unscrew and store in the fridge!

[Tammy]

katie: No way! Does that really work? But how do you get the salad dressing ingredients into an upside-down jar? Just kidding. I figured it out.

Janet: Great ideas. Thanks!

Sally: Yes, some of these things I remember my mom doing. She was very resourceful. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Sarah: Cool. Mason jars are awesome. I like the irrigation system idea, too!

[VegYear]

We re-use jars of all sizes (peanut butter, jelly, tomato sauce) for storing grains and dried beans that we buy in the bulk aisle. (We get our bulk items in paper bags rather than plastic, which then make compostable compost containers.)

Mostly, I've gotten good at minimizing packaging, period, so there's less to reuse or recycle. No plastic produce boxes from things we buy at the farmers market. :)