The art of recycling for a greener environment starts with seeing trash as "abandoned material" so that we can create "Abundance from the Abandoned" in "Amazing Ways".
Do you know that you can get paid to recycle your old paper?
If you do a search for “recycle paper near me”, you should be able to find a company that will collect your paper.
At my bike shop, I recycle:
-cardboard boxes and paper. -metal parts from bicycles.
On my request, the guy who collects my recyclables will give my staff some pocket money.
I also send packaging material taken off bicycles delivered, like bubble wraps and plastic sheets that are clean and still in good condition, to a courier service company, right next door.
However, there many ways you can make use of them, if you do not want to recycle them or have to pay a fee for collection. If they are blank paper, you can make notebooks out of them. I shared how it can be done in a question I answered on Quora earlier at the following link. From there you can learn to bind the papers together into a notebook:
You can use the notebooks you make to start a journal because journaling is good for your emotional wellbeing. If you are feeling down and do not know how to start journaling, read this book by Lee Crutchley, "How to Be Happy (Or at Least Less Sad): A Creative Workbook". I found a review about it shared on VaneesBabySteps YouTube channel. At the end of the video, she flipped through the book which will give you an idea how you can go about journaling your thoughts so that you can be less sad.
If you are not someone who likes to write, you can also journal in bullet points. I saved some ideas on how you can do it on my Pinterest board, “Bujo (bullet point journal)”.
Following are other ways you can make use of your notebook. You can use it:
-to record recipes
-to draw or doodle in it.
-as a travel/souvenir collection book.
-as an accounting book.
-as a scrapbook to stick your photos or cut out of images that inspire you.
-to jot down ideas and develop your writing skill as an author.
Are you good at crafting? If there are prints on them, you can use them for paper-mâché projects to make practical items like bowls and planters to decorative objects, such as, sculptures, masks, and ornaments.. You can learn the process from the following question I answered earlier.
You can find free products or materials for making crafts everywhere. If you look out for them, you can find them:
-in your home.
-at work. -from your friends and neighbours. -at restaurants, stalls or shops you often patronise. -in public areas.
You just have to try to get your hands on them before they are discarded. I see many material you can work with in this bin. Can you spot them too?
If you are good at painting, instead of buying drawing pads, you can consider painting on empty glass bottles. This is a gift I received from a friend in Beijing. It is a painting of my husband and son on a snuff bottle. The artist who created it managed to copy the likeness from a photo I gave my friend.
I think that is a neat idea. So, if you have recently celebrated with a bottle of champagne, instead of throwing the empty bottle away, you can either do it yourself or find an artist to have your photo painted on it to commemorate the event you opened it in celebration.
What are you good at making? You can list out the tools and material you need to complete your work on a piece of paper and note beside it what other material you can consider using as substitutes. Some crafting tools can be expensive. So, use your creativity to improvise with the available tools or material that you have on hand to complete your craft.
For example, when I was learning to make wirework jewellery, I discovered that I could use as working material:
-the copper wires removed from leftover electrical cables.
I managed to use them to learn to make Roman bracelets from a book I borrowed from the library.
-the trolling stainless steel wires that my husband no longer use.
These are the tools I made use of to create jump rings…
…to create this beaded necklace.
I love using material that would otherwise be discarded in my craftwork. I call my efforts, creating abundance from the abandoned. Since I enjoy handcrafting, I am always on a look out for free crafting tutorials online. But instead of buying new material to create, I tend to use discarded material. For example, at my bike shop I have lots of punctured tubes to work with. Instead of using ribbons, here are some of the things I can create with punctured tubes.
Punctured tubes can be used to cover a hole in a chair.
Instead of buying leather, I experimented with tubes to learn leather craft.
I have also experimented with used tyres from my bike shop. My customers used to enjoy sitting on this chair I created with them while they were waiting for their bicycles to be fixed. However, the raffia strings I used to tie them together disintegrated over time. So, if you are inspired to create the same, you have to use stronger material as fastenings.
Do you like crafting with fabric? My uncle used to work for a textile wholesaler. He gave my mom lots of fabric samplers and unsold leftover fabric at the end of each roll. My mom was able to sew quilted blankets, cushion covers and floor mats with the scraps of fabric received. If you require fabric in your craftwork, see if you have friends who enjoy sewing or who are in the tailoring business. They should be willing to give you their scraps. I used to receive used zips and scraps of fabric from a friend who is a tailor. That was because I told her once that jewellery can be created even with damaged zippers.
You can also upcycle clothes you or your family members have outgrown. To upcycle means, to reuse discarded material in such a way that it creates a product of higher quality or value than the original. What you are able to create yourself will be valued. With some creativity, anything can be upcycled. If you do not want to upcycle your clothes but you are not comfortable about wearing them again because you have worn them one time too often or they have gone out of fashion, you can learn to embellish them by adding decorative details so that they look different. That will require you to take up some basic sewing skills though.
Currently, I save all crafting tutorials with potential to create with free material on my Pinterest board, “Abundance from Abandoned”. From there you can explore the free material you can use in your craft.
This video gives you an idea what you can craft with fruit foam wraps.
Once you have discovered the kind of free material you would like to work with, tell everyone you know to keep them for you. And be friendly with storekeepers of shops you often buy your stuff from as they may have lots of packaging material which you can make use of in your craft.
These are the other practical stuff that I have made over the years with free material:
I managed to create this weaving tool with my empty herb supplement bottle. Instead of yarn, I cut strips out of plastic bags to weave.
These watering pals for watering plants are made of PVC bottles and dressed up with plastic bags.
For my former kitchen.
This is how I decorate empty containers for storing my stuff.
Costumes and hair pieces I made for school concerts to reduce the cost of paying for clothes that my children may only wear once during their performance.
Bouquet cum duster that I designed and made with plastic bags which can be given out as gift.
With these creations, I was able to conduct a workshop on recycling and upcycling for some university students in UTAR during one of their extramural activities.
Musical instrument I created for my children to play with.
I designed and created this dog poo scoop with a PVC bottle and some plastic bags. I hope owners taking their dogs out for walks at the public park in the neighbourhood will learn to make them so that it will be easier for them to clean up after their pets.
This new year greeting in Malay for display at my bike shop is made of cardboard and strips of plastic bags.
Placard I made for my bike shop to inform my customers when it will closed for the festive holidays.
Before I started my bike shop, I often collect my free cardboard boxes from my regular fruit stall. These are some of the stuff I am able to create with my collection:
Mini cupboard
It was made wide enough for me to use empty tissue boxes as drawers.
I have been collecting empty sachets for coffee because there is a thin film of aluminium foil inside. I discovered that they can be cut and folded to create a bag like this.
You do not have use the sachets inside out if they have lovely designs on it.
I prefer to crochet over making bags out of this material and will gladly give them away to anyone interested to collect. When I crochet I also consider using cut strips from plastic bags or raffia strings as yarn in my work.
Items that would otherwise be discarded can become valuable to others if it has sentimental value. That said, have you ever thought of using fallen hair to create craft? You can learn the process of creating hairwork by watching this video.
I discovered a new way to keep a round bag I crochet in shape. I made use of the inner packaging from this cookies container.
This is how it looks like.
After washing it, I cut a slit at its vertical edge to make it fit perfectly into the bag.
So, be on a look out for these PVC inserts in all shapes and sizes. There may be one that can be used to keep your bags in shape. Throw in some silica gel packets to reduce the chances of moisture getting into your bags. You do not want your bags to smell musty from growth of mold.
You do not have to buy silica gel as they are usually supplied with food product or health supplements that you have purchased. You should avoid using silica gel packets that are stained.
If you cannot find PVC inserts in the right size, you can use cushions that have gone flat on you. You can fold it up and tuck it into your bag or cut it up to size to sew.
It does not matter if the cushion protrudes out of the bag. Hopefully, the dustbag that you have received on purchase of your bag is large enough to hold and protect it. You can also re-use your neck or baby pillows that you may have kept in storage somewhere for the same purpose. If the baby pillow is too small, wrap a towel around it to fit the bag. You can also slip towels in laundry bags
The Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) is encouraging the United Nations to adopt the following internationally peer-reviewed definition of Zero Waste and to work with ZWIA and other Zero Waste organizations around the globe, to create a just world of vibrant, resilient, Zero Waste communities, in harmony with nature:
"Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health."
So, how can I adopt the principles of zero waste in my life?
I believe that handmade product can help save the environment. You are less likely to discard something that you have made or received as a gift. This is a crochet top that I made for myself more than 20 years ago. My daughter could wear it now.
Now that I have revived my interest to crochet, what kind of product will I be able to create that will help the environment?
I will start with a reusable bag. I will design a bag that will allow the user to:
change its size
change its colour
change its handle
I hope that my design will:
reduce the "discard mentality" as you cannot be bored with a bag that you can play with in shape, colour and size.
enable you to extend its life as damaged portion of the bag can be replaced.
use less material to produce by using net (see through) crochet patterns so that the resusables bags we keep getting free from retailers can be used as inserts.
allow the creator to make use of leftover material to work with and reuse what they have.
promote a reuse culture by encouraging crafters to consider using discards in their work creatively.
extend the life of low quality reusable bags.
allow users to personalise their bags as they can decide how they can decorate them.
inspire others to make stuff that they need if they are able to.
Is that possible? Yes it is. I hope that my project will make the younger generation realise that handmade items can be cool to create and own. Let's start a reuse mindset revolution.
Since I run a bikeshop I will start with this discard which is one of the packaging items for bicycles.
If I cut the protuding parts off, I can use it as a base for my crochet container.
It fits in nicely in this container I crochet.
It keeps its base flat.
If I want to, I can use another circular piece to crochet a cover for it.
When I use it as a container in my reusable bag, it will protect the glassware for storing food that I bring to my shop to eat for lunch.
But it is not just a container once I added the second layer I crochet. I can add this layer to the container with a piece of string so that it can be removed.
This is how my creation looks like once the plastic circular base is removed.
If this is how I would like to use it, I can use cords removed from paper bags and use them as handles. The net edge on the second layer allows me to push the cords through and secure them to it. Once done, it has become a container cum bag.
Remember that you are only a hoarder if you do not make use of what you keep.
Based on how I would like to use it, which depends on how creative or fashionable (daring) I am, I can:
add another layer to increase the height of the bag.
remove the orignal layer to add a layer in a different colour or crochet pattern.
add additional layers in many different colour.
add another layer in different crochet patterns.
crochet a layer of see through or net pattern so that I can use a reusable bag as insert.
change the handles on the bag.
You can adopt the above idea by making two square containers. If you join them together and add the layers, it can become a rectangular bag. I like the idea of using granny squares in this project because I can use leftover material in different colours to crochet them. For example, I managed to crochet the granny squares on this crossbody crochet bag with cut strips of plastic bags in different colours. You should not have any problem using raffia strings too.
Do you keep the packaging containers from product you purchased?
I do keep some of them if they are suitable for storing my stuff. I like the clear containers from Ferrero Rocher. I usually use them to store my beads and finishings for making handmade jewellery. I recently discovered a way to make use of their 24 piece container which is rather shallow.
It is perfect as a base for my crochet granny square bag which I can use without its cover. I like it that it is the perfect size for carrying a box of cake.
If I leave it as is, this crochet piece and the container will work well as a decorative receptacle for serving food during a festive event, like the forthcoming Raya celebration.
This is the video instruction for the bag.
You will have to modify the base if the yarn you use is different in thickness. I enlarged my base with another granny square design so that it fits the size of the Ferrero Rocher container I used. I also used leftover wool from another project to make part of the base.
Are you wondering if you should buy drinks that are packed in aluminum cans or in PET bottles?
It depends on which country you are from and how the recycling rate is like for the packaging involved. Recycling agents in Malaysia would rather take aluminium cans over plastic as one lorry load of aluminium cans earns more than one lorry load of PET bottles.
I read this article posted on July 20, 2019 by TAPP Water:
% recovered for recycling in USA
Glass 80%
ALUMINIUM 45%
PLASTIC (PET) 9.5%
Though the recycling rate in reported is 80% for glass bottle, in Malaysia I am not able to find recycling agents for them.
If you read the report, "Disposable Drinking Bottles- Plastic vs. Glass vs. Aluminum" from Macquarie University in Australia website, the recycling rate is different:
Average Amount Currently Recycled reported in Australia
GLASS 50%
ALUMINIUM 50%
PLASTIC (PET) 60%
Maybe it is easier to make a decision based on your views from this report extracted from the report posted at TAPP Water:
Time to decompose
Glass bottle 1 million years*
Single use plastic 400 years
Carton Never**
Aluminium can 100-400 years
Decomposition residue
Glass bottle - Glass
Single use plastic - Microplastics
Carton - Some microplastics
Aluminium can - Metal scrap
How do you stop microplastics from polluting the environment? Based on this, I would rather choose aluminium over PET bottles.
If you still cannot make up your own mind on it, read what "The Aluminum Association" has to say about it.
Extracted:
"Nearly 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.
Infinitely recyclable and highly durable, nearly 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today. Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable and retains its properties indefinitely. Aluminum is one of the only materials in the consumer disposal stream that more than pays for the cost of its own collection."
See how Tetrapak is recycled in India to benefit the public.
Tetrapak is working on raising awareness that their cartons can be recycled. I think that children in school should be taught during their art and craft class lessons on how they can extract paper out of cartons as shown in this video.
When price of oil drops, not everyone will be rejoicing. Let's take a look at the plastics recycling industry. Plastics are made from oil. When oil price slumps, it is cheaper for manufacturers to buy freshly made plastic. We will see less used plastic material being collected for recycling. So, all the more reasons for us to consider using less plastic in our product or packaging. If you need some help, read this book, "Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too", by Beth Terry.
Recycling thermal imaging carbonless paper may not be such a good idea, after all.
If you know that you should avoid drinking from bottles with bisphenol A (BPA) because you have been reading reports that it can cause a number of health problems, including infertility, then watch out for that powdery feeling on any receipts that you get your hands on.
Janet Raloff reported in her article, "Concerned about BPA: Check your receipts," that what you feel is a layer of BPA, manufacturers coat on one side of thermal imaging carbonless papers.
What?!!! That's how most credit card receipts feel when rubbed against your fingers, right? So, stop doing that as she has also reported that a survey of urine samples of pregnant women in USA found that cashiers had the highest amounts of BPA in their bodies.
Janet may have us concerned about what we are recycling but I am sure that it is because of such reports that there are now BPA-free thermal-receipt paper in USA. But when will we see such used in Malaysia?
I guess that depends on how many of you are willing to talk about what you picked up today. Just remember that the BPA tainted paper we recycled could well be made into the packaging our food will be served in.
I have shared with you how I have made use of the Tetra Pak packaging I have collected after my children's birthday party. Today I have discovered from watching a documentary on the efforts to go green in Sau Paulo, that the waste product after recycling paper and aluminum foil out of them can be used to manufacture roof.
