Ideas/ways to re-use/recycle "rubbish"?

[sumi]

Guys, I'm looking for about 20 good uses for the carton centres from toilet rolls. I cannot, cannot get myself to throw them away and I have about 2 bin bags full of them by now

 

[NH Homesteader]

I use them for 2 things that may not apply to you- kid projects and tick tubes. Do you have ticks there?

Sorry I'm not very creative... I usually let my daughter make fun things out of them but your son is likely over that at his age!

 

[Beekissed]

You could go crafty....

https://christianpf.com/20-brilliant-ways-to-use-paper-rolls-paper-towel-tp-rolls/

I find I use such discarded cardboard rolls for many things, on the spur of the moment, but don't save them for that on purpose. I've got a TP roll on the end of the dowel rod I use for my closet, to extend the length and keep it in the holder there...I miscalculated when cutting it and got it just a sliver too short.

To use a lot of them, I'd go with using them for planting seedlings and for the bird feeding idea.

Or you could compost them.

 

[tortoise]

I know! I know!

Cut them in half. Set them on end in your garden. Mulch heavily around them. Plant inside them. The cardboard tubes protect seeds from being smothered by the mulch and they break down later so no clean up.

It worked beautifully for me, I highly recommend it!

 

[Beekissed]

That's a great idea in these wood chips gardens, especially in areas with fresh chip...my seedlings tend to get smothered in chip and I get the feeling they are maybe too hot there or even too cold, depending on the nature of the chips.

 

[Wannabefree]

My niece makes obstacle courses for her hamster out of those. They make good fire starters if you fill them with drier lint and dip the ends in wax.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I also save, collect, repurpose...
I always use empty pill bottles for screws, washers, marbles, one day pill bottles, small trip games/diversions or treats for my grandkids when they travel ( they are fabulous to fill with all kinds of small things to be opened when mom is desperate or when they get to a certain destination), organizing my junk drawer, and "trip souvenirs". My son has a collection of these in his room from all over the country "sand from: "White Sand, NM", "Yellowstone", "Delray Beach, FL", "Indiana Dunes" , small shells and beach treasures from the Great Lakes, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River... dried up bugs, locust shells, robins eggs, and small dried lizards, or shed snake skins or butterflies he found and wanted to keep (sooo much better than having him collecting things in his pockets! We use a sharpie to write where he got it with the dates and who was on the trip.
They're perfect for all kinds of seeds and can be frozen. They're great fun for geocaching, and help organize game pieces. They work well for collecting spare change in my car, and keeping my car consul neater. We pay for a lot of meds. I hate to throw away those bottles (when you get meds 3 months at a time, the bottles are bigger and can be used for sooo much more!)

We recently raided a recycle bin and got a whole bunch of plain cardboard. We used it between the rows in our garden to keep weeds down.
I use coffee cans as pots for new plants
We drilled holes in the top of an old cooler, filled it with shredded paper, dirt and straw and made a worm bed.
Drier lint make a great fire starter...
Old nylons are fabulous for hanging onions or things you want to dry, and also for tying up tomato plants, blackberry vines, etc...

 

[sumi]

Thank you for bumping this thread. You just reminded me of something I meant to post and forgot. I was in the kitchen the other day when I emptied a small plastic(?) mesh bag of onions and remembered seeing someone reuse those bags as pot scourers! Bunch them up and shrub away, they work really well.

Btw I love your ideas for reusing pill bottles

 

[sumi]

Not rubbish, but a lovely way to upcycle some old farm equipment! Spotted this on a wall in Nenagh, Co Tipperary

 

[NH Homesteader]

Love that!