How to Recycle Milk Cartons

Milk cartons were the brainchild of John Von Wormer, an Ohio toy manufacturer who broke one too many bottles of milk. Besides being the perfect unbreakable container, milk cartons have several great uses once the milk is gone. Follow these great ideas to recycle milk cartons.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Trim the top portion of the milk carton to create a sturdy disposable paint container. Finish the touch-up and toss the container.
2. Keep grubs away from young vegetable plants by making protective collars. Cut away the top and bottom of the milk carton and push it down over the plant and into the dirt until the top edge of the carton is level with the ground. Do this when the earth is soft.
3. Start seeds in the lower half of milk cartons. Punch holes in the bottom for drainage, fill with potting soil and plant the seeds.
4. Make a wintertime feast for the birds. Combine melted suet and birdseed in a milk carton from which the top has been removed. Drop a loop of heavy string or twine into the melted fat and drape it over the top edge of the carton while the fat sets. Remove the hardened mass and hang it in a tree for the birds to enjoy.
5. Create a lace candle. Spray the inside of the milk carton with cooking oil. Anchor a taper candle in the center of the milk carton with a bit of melted wax. Fill the carton with ice cubes or chipped ice, then pour in melted wax, filling the carton to the brim. Peel away the carton when the wax is complete cooled and allow the melting ice to run off to reveal lacy wax formations.
6. Keep party drinks cool with ice blocks made in empty milk cartons. Rinse the cartons well, fill with water and stand in the freezer until solid. Peel away the milk carton and use the ice blocks in the cooler or punch bowl.