RECYCLE!

[redoak]

We use old newspapers to make pots to start seeds in, they biodegrade so you dont have to transplant them from the pots. We also sometimes use newspapers to keep weeds under control in the garden. When we go hiking/walking we often bring some small trash bags and recycle/collect any trash we find.

 

[RubberChickenLubber]

Quote:
I've heard of doing that, but how? Do you have a link? I need to start tomatoes and peppers

 

[hooligan]

Nuggetsowner :

I know its not quite a house but I recently purchased a double seater outhouse at an auction for only $1.00. I plan on turning it into another coop some day. Coop #3??? My second coop is an old shed we also purchased at an auction and I tore the inside down to the studs and revamped it!! One person's trash another person's treasure!!

Thats awesome! That saved some trees

 

[redoak]

I use a "Pot Maker" it uses 3.5 inch by 10 inch strips of newspaper. They are availabe from most seed supply or gardening catalogs. The pots are quick and easy to make. I usually make a bunch in the early spring while watching a movie or something.

 

[mamaboyd]

I don't know if it's really recycling, but we burn our newspaper and cardboard in the woodstove during the winter. I guess as long as it's not making it to the landfill site...
We also built our woodshed out of old tin and metal that was torn off our other huge shed when we demolished it, actually, both our sheds are made of the tin that we got from the roof of the original shed.

I really wish that all the extra plastic used on items, like toys etc. wasn't used, as our recycling company doesn't take it and it ends up in the garbage. :|

 

[rooster-red]

My 2 coops (about to start on the 3rd one) are made totally from recycled materials, The only thing I've bought are the screws that hold them together.

Items I've used in building the coops are:

Large industrial steel shelf panels (flooring)
Glass shower doors (on east side for early a.m. light)
used tin roofing
Lots of scrap wood including old pallets
rubber coated counter top from an auto parts store (bottom of nest boxes)

Shelves from old refridgeraters (ventilation grilles)

Used hinges and harware from various places

Even the run fencing is recycled leftover concrete reinforcement wire scrounged from a construction site, along with used welded wire fencing and used chicken wire.

Fence post are 4" X 4" posts discarded by my BIL.

I made a feeder from leftover 4" PVC drain pipe.

I use a discarded full size truck tool box to store my feed containers in, the feed containers are recycled Tidy Cat litter containers.

 

[GwenFarms]

Here is a video to make the pots:

I was just thinking of posting a thread about this today as I was building a duck pen out of all recycled materials. Everything we used was on its way to the landfill. We used posts that were picked up when they were replacing fencing along the interstate. We used old wooden privacy panels that a friend was throwing out. We took slats off of one panel to replace broken slats on the other panels. We then cut each panel to make a 3.5 foot fence. In the end it looks like a fancy picket fence. The bottom cut off part of the fence is going to be used to make a dog kennel for our small dogs. Even the nails were saved from the landfill. It was a great project.

Another great earth friendly thing to do is take a canvas back when you go to the store. This isn't practical for me at the grocery store, as I go every two weeks, but I do ask for paper. Most stores still have paper, but you have to ask. Its recyclable and has many other uses, it can be used for the above pots too. They can put as many groceries in one paper bag as three plastic bags. I use a canvas bag when I go to our Dollar Store, which is a couple of times a week. Everyone has a store they go to almost daily. This is where the canvas bag makes a difference. Those plastic bags are doing awful things to our oceans, lakes and water creatures.

We have three fire breaks on the back of our property and many, many years ago a previous owner dumped trash in these breaks. We are now going through those breaks and I'm recycling the old glass that is broken, but I'm keeping all of the old mason jars and other jars that can be sterilized for this years canning. There are alot of these cool looking Clorox bottles, they are brown with moonshine jug type handles. Anyone remember these? There are old glass Coke and Pepsi bottles that do look vaguely familiar to me. I remember loading our old buick with these when I was a kid and trading them in at the coke plant for cash.

I hope there are lots more great ideas to come in this thread for recycling. Its one of my favorite subjects. I think a small farm gets the most out of reusables than anywhere else. I'm always looking for ideas from others. Some many times someone has mentioned reusing something that I would have never thought of.

If anyone is not aware of freecycle.com and craigslist.com, you should check them out. They both do great things to keep stuff out of our landfills. You can find free fencing on these sites all the time.

 

[mamaboyd]

I forgot to mention that our local grocery stores have a container where everyone can bring in their plastic shopping bags and in turn those bags bags will be recycled. It's weird, but where my in-laws live, about 15 mins away, but in a different county, they are able to recycle their plastic bags in the blue bins, but we can't. I usually end up taking a big load of plastic bags to their home for them to put in their bin. Most stores here have the canvas or enviornmental friendly bags for sale for about 99 cents each instead of using plastic bags. They do hold much more and are more sturdier hen you are buying canned goods etc.

 

[BearSwampChick]

I recycle everything I can. Our recycling center is great. Along with the usual glass, #1 and #2 plastic, newspapers and aluminum cans we do cardboard, cereal boxes, any box that is brown inside, run-down batteries, magazines, shredded paper, plastic bags including dry-cleaning bags, basically any bag you can poke your finger through easily, cell phones, computer ink cartridges, telephone books, wrapping paper, I'm sure there's more I just can't think of it right now. I also use canvas bags for groceries and other shopping when I don't forget to take them with me! I reuse as many things as I can think of uses for them. I use empty clean glass jars to store things in the fridge, such as canned milk, or leftover soup, etc.

I sew a little so I buy fabric on the discount table at Walmart for $1.00/yd and make tote bags to wrap gifts in. They're really easy. Sometimes if I see a cute dish towel or apron, I'll buy that to use for the wrap.

Oh, yeah, I use the cereal box liners to put the scooped cat litter into. And since I pay most of my bills online, I have them send my bills to me electronically. Opting out of junk mail delivery also helps. I can't remember the link for that, but just google junk mail opt-out and there's a government website for it.

Thanks, Southern, for starting this thread and happy recycling!

Edited to add: You can also use empty toilet paper rolls to make seed starters. Cut the roll in half and then on one end cut four evenly-spaced 1-inch cuts, then fold in together and it makes a perfect little biodegradable starter!

Susan

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Quote:
I've heard of doing that, but how? Do you have a link? I need to start tomatoes and peppers

They also sell the gizmo to make the pots at Lee Valley Tools