Creative Use of Recycled Plastics
Whether finding creative do-it-yourself uses for plastics or tossing them into the recycling bin to be made into something new, plastics can be given new life to keep them out of the landfills.
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Recycled Household Products
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Manufacturers are using recycled plastics to create everything from fabrics to building materials to everyday household items. The company Preserve uses recycled yogurt containers to make items like toothbrushes and razors. Clothing companies like Patagonia use fleece made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Viva Terra makes multicolored eco-twine rugs composed entirely of recycled soda bottles, candy wrappers and plastic labels. The company also makes door mats from material left over from colorful flip-flops.
Furniture and Building Materials
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Several companies also use recycled plastics to construct park benches, decks, furniture and other building materials. The company American Recycled Plastic has a vast selection of outdoor products and lumber products all made from recycled plastic. These benches, picnic tables, fences and decks and designed to look like wood but are all made from #2 plastics, one of the easiest types to recycle.
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DIY Plastic Reuse
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Clever consumers find ways to reuse their plastic products without ever putting them into the recycling bin. On the website www.recyclethis.co.uk, consumers ask questions about how to recycle or reuse household materials. A question about how to reuse plastic water bottles yields suggestions including covering it in plastic to make a chew toy for dogs, cutting off the tops to use as garden funnels, and filling them up with sand to put in your toilet tank. The website www.instructables.com also offers clever ideas for creating crafts from plastic materials.
Shop Handmade
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Less crafty folks can shop for unique, handmade products on websites like www.etsy.com. Artists sell wares like recycled plastic tote bags, jewelry made from used plastic materials, and plenty of quirky, one-of-a-kind finds.
Recycling Your Plastics
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Putting #1 and #2 plastics back into the recycling stream is simple, with most municipalities doing free collections of these plastics. However, other numbered plastics often require a bit more effort to recycle. The website www.earth911.com will tell you where you can donate your higher numbered plastics locally. Companies like Preserve will also direct you to drives for the #5 plastics (yogurt containers for instance) they use to make their products.
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