Western Isles Recycle

Western Isles recycle first article is about how to recycle and reuse plastic.

Recycling plastic?

Reuse the plastic items first until reusing is no longer an option.
Refillable containers made from recycled plastic in the first place are best!

Tips to reuse plastic items:
Please add your suggestion to this list:
Email the webmaster

82	Western Isles Recycle Old fishnet from the beach etc attached to firmly placed posts divides the garden, making it visually more interesting, plus has a useful windbreak effect, and can be put to a height where the wind would blow over a nomal fence Anu, Sorrel and Ela
82	Western Isles Recycle Clear plastic lids from big yogurt pots are perfect fit for some flowerpots to germinate seeds Anne W
81	Western Isles Recycle Keep water in plasic bags (bashed into bits with rolling pin) as a cold compress Anu
80	Western Isles Recycle Weaving Art: Strips of plastic woven together to make tablemats Anu
79	Western Isles Recycle Cut tops and bottoms off milk bottles and insert half inside each other to make an aquaduct to transport water in summer from your drainpipe to veg patch Sarah C
78	Western Isles Recycle Put ordinary polythene over your peat stack / item you want kept dry and hold down with old fish net from beach. Our boat and peat stack covered like this has resisted all gales including the 2005 Hurricane in Ness Donald
77	Western Isles Recycle Cut the top end off same sized bottles and stack them for circular shelving to keep things in eg underwear, toys, hobby stuff etc.. C Green
76	Western Isles Recycle The Woodland Trust recycles mobile phones to help preserve woodland habitats...to order a free posting envelope telephone: 0800 970 5097 quoting "Woodland Trust Bag" or email: WTbags@answerthecall.co.uk Sunny
75	Western Isles Recycle I stood my peat stack on top of old fishboxes last year - it kept much drier at the base. Ceri
74	Western Isles Recycle Use an empty 5 litre water bottle as a propagator. Cut three sides, leaving one as a hinge, around the top of the widest part. Pop plant in, close and wrap cling film around cut to seal and keep humidity levels up. Remove bottle cap every day for a short time to allow air to circulate or to breathe carbon dioxide into bottle to give plants a boost. Sandy M
73	Western Isles Recycle Plastic boxes that mushrooms come in make great seed trays. Just heat a metal skewer and make holes in the bottom. This is smelly, it is best done outside, stack a few boxes inside each other and do all at once. Ela
72	Western Isles Recycle Brita will recycle their water filters. E.S. Brita wrote in: "...Recycling bins are now situated in a range of high street stores such as Robert Dyas, Argos and Cargo. Other major retailer collection points will be following soon. The BRITA branded bins will be located next to the existing water filter category in store. Customers can recycle any BRITA consumer product filter cartridge, including those for the new BRITA water filter taps. For further information regarding this scheme please contact the BRITACare department on 0844 742 4800".
71	Western Isles Recycle Use scrunched plastic bags to pad Christmas decorations in storage E.J.
70	Western Isles Recycle Frosts will soon be upon us, pop an old bucket over a non-hardy plant as an instant protection LIZ
69	Western Isles Recycle Launch fireworks from an old bucket filled with sand MUR
68	Western Isles Recycle Old fishing net to keep rabbits out of the veg patch CAZ
67	Western Isles Recycle Drill holes in old buckets - plant them and use as plant tubs Ela
66	Western Isles Recycle Unravel a short length of nylon rope and use it as string . Don Great for tying plastic bags to recycle...
65	Western Isles Recycle Cut down old plastic wellies to make slip on galoshes for nipping outside Sue
64	Western Isles Recycle Cut down a large squash bottle that has a handle on it - nail to your bench as a an electric drill holder Calum
63	Western Isles Recycle Plastic tub lids make great frisbees Anna
62	Western Isles Recycle Saw the bottom off an old plastic drum - paint it and you have a large plant drip-tray Mairi
61	Western Isles Recycle CD cases make good picture frames BurlyB
60	Western Isles Recycle Use polytunnel tape to repair plastic bags D.M.
59	Western Isles Recycle Save the salad tray from an old fridge to reuse as a plant propagator D.S.
58	Western Isles Recycle Lino and old carpets to suppress weeds under gravel areas E. Walters
57	Western Isles Recycle Tie old CDs on string in the garden to discourage birds from crops ANON
56	Western Isles Recycle Louise M.
55	Western Isles Recycle If you have a rolled newspaper delivered, a length of plastic drainpipe is good rainproof holder. ANON
54	Western Isles Recycle A Hebridean specialty is mailboxes made from recycled plastic boxes ANON Send us a diagram!
53	Western Isles Recycle My neighbor has a small mink - proof chicken house made from a blue silage drum (even has a hinged door!) Suzanne
52	Western Isles Recycle I recently saw a trailer which had mudguards made out of old fishboxes! DL
51	Western Isles Recycle Carry one or two carrier bags when you walk the beach etc. Feel good when you clear a bit of rubbish. ANON
50	Western Isles Recycle People selling their fruit and veg can often reuse clean supermarket plastic veg trays. ANON
49	Western Isles Recycle A plastic water bottle makes a great dog toy. Remove the lid. Caz
48	Western Isles Recycle The wool mills give a small refund on the yarn bobbins B.L. Unfortunately incorrect
47	Western Isles Recycle Plastic tubs are useful for organizing drawers or workshop shelving etc D.L.
46	Western Isles Recycle Plastic baths to soak your willow for baskets Sunny
45	Western Isles Recycle Sell useful plastic items in the Western Isles Auction or put them in at 1p if you want to just offer them! Suzanne
44	Western Isles Recycle Coal sacks reused for collecting seaweed... Suzanne
43	Western Isles Recycle Western Isles compost heaps tend to be too wet to work fast -water them then cover them with old polythene VanMan
42	Western Isles Recycle Tie together short pieces of rope collected on the shore to use in the garden for beans etc ANON
41	Western Isles Recycle Large pieces of heavyweight plastic - or two plastic sacks cut open suppress weeds under trees too - peg with U shaped piece of fence wire ANON
40	Western Isles Recycle Large pieces of heavyweight plastic - or plastic sacks cut open suppress weeds under gravel paths ANON
39	Western Isles Recycle The old polytunnel plastic makes a great peat stack cover - tie a small piece of peat into the corners and at intervals along the edges with the guy ropes A.L.
38	Western Isles Recycle Western Isles Action Aid in Stornoway are collecting printer cartridges for recycling ANON
37	Western Isles Recycle Strips off that same hose with rope threaded through make a tree support Ela
36	Western Isles Recycle Recycle a leaky garden hose to make good soft bucket handles Ela Note: There are connectors to repair garden hoses
35	Western Isles Recycle Buy in bulk and refill a small container - economical too! ANON
34	Western Isles Recycle Did anyone mention to reuse old plastic bags to line bins instead of buying new ones? ANON
33	Western Isles Recycle Kids love playing with plastic containers in the bath - make doors for figures in some. Suzanne
32	Western Isles Recycle If you use grow bags, then the tops off bottles, or broken plastic flower pots pushed in beside the plant aids watering Ela
31	Western Isles Recycle Children's piggy bank rainy day project. Cut a small hole in a bottle and paint it. ANON
30	Western Isles Recycle Fill a small plastic bottle half with water and half with vegetable oil. Add some food coloring and glitter, put the lid on very tightly to make a toddler toy S.L.
29	Western Isles Recycle Old toothbrushes are really useful reused in the toolbox Suzanne
28	Western Isles Recycle Freeze a plastic bottle of water an use as a picnic cool pack Joan
27	Western Isles Recycle Saw the top off plastic drums to make storage containers for the recycling Suzanne
26	Western Isles Recycle Make a rainy day children's game of skittles and reuse plastic bottles Anna
25	Western Isles Recycle Plastic mesh bags scrunched up make a scourer Anu
24	Western Isles Recycle Putting a plastic bag around a seed tray can aid germination of seedlings. Ela
23	Western Isles Recycle Did anyone mention storage :) Rachael
22	Western Isles Recycle Reuse plastic carrier bags when you go shopping... Suzanne
21	Western Isles Recycle Plastic carrier Bags are welcomed at the second hand shops in Stornoway and the Library can reuse some. Ela
20	Western Isles Recycle Some plastic pots can be reused as plant pots. Adam
19	Western Isles Recycle Reuse plastic tubs for packed lunches. www.wascot.org.uk
18	Western Isles Recycle A plastic shower curtain is great on the floor when little ones (or big ones!) are painting. ANON
17	Western Isles Recycle Cut the top off a bottle as a plant propagator Ela
16	Western Isles Recycle Fill plastic carrier bags with scrunched up newspaper to fill empty freezer space - saves energy too! Ela
15	Western Isles Recycle Travel light - use a film canister sewing kit or just decant some of a a large pot of suntan cream into it Skryer
14	Western Isles Recycle I have heard you can make a "rag rug" with plastic carrier bags! ANON
13	Western Isles Recycle Scrunch up plastic carrier bags as lightweight packing material when posting things. Suzanne
12	Western Isles Recycle Stuff plastic carrier bags into gaps in the shed etc to stop drafts. Suzanne
11	Western Isles Recycle If you are painting and stop for a while putting the brush in a plastic bags stops it from drying out. Ela
10	Western Isles Recycle The Scottish law says you have to clean up after your dog in a public place - plastic bags useful there. Roy
9	Western Isles Recycle Emergency make do if you have leaky wellies, or have to put on wet shoes. Skryer
8	Western Isles Recycle If you wear a wet suit a good trick is to put carrier bags on under your boots - it makes it MUCH easier to get them off again! Iain
7	Western Isles Recycle I saw an idea for making a bird feeder out of a plastic pop bottle. Make about 20 small holes near the bottom, then two holes one either side and push a stick through as a perch. Use a funnel to fill it. Mairi very inventive!
6	Western Isles Recycle Drying plastic bags which you have washed to reuse is easy, if you hang them in the airing cupboard pegged on a sock rack. Ela
5	Western Isles Recycle Reduce the need for plastic carrier bags by having good cloth shopping bags and baskets... Anna
4	Western Isles Recycle Take items to the second hand shops or give them to the Sale of Work Cathy
3	Western Isles Recycle Cut margarine tubs and their lids into strips - they make great plant labels in the greenhouse. Ela
2	Western Isles Recycle Plastic bath for a fish pond? ANON
1	Western Isles Recycle Cut the top off a large drinks bottle to make a funnel Sue

Thank you to all the contributors who have helped to make this resource.

If you cannot reuse it

Recycle

Waste Aware Western Isles:

All Plastic food and drink containers such as margarine tubs, yogurt pots, shampoo, washing liquid bottles and Plastic bags (tied together) can be recycled

Western Isles Recycling Points

Recycling Plastic

Large plastic items
with the recycle logo
take to the Recycling
Centre at Bennadrove
(report to weighbridge)

Businesses need register as carriers of waste
and have a
Waste Transfer Note
pads available from
Stornoway stationers

Brittle plastic usually cannot be recycled - look for the recycle logo

Western Isles Recycle!

Tetra-Pak Cartons
and crisp packets
cannot be recycled

Provoking
In the UK we use an
average of 134 carrier bags
each a year!

All the plastic in the
Western Isles was
brought in
it is still pouring in!

Western Isles Recycle!

Recycling collection dates

Stornoway Kerbside Collection Scheme

Western Isles Recycle!

Hall of Fame

If your business
offers items to in the reuse and recycle
section at our
Western Isles Auction

We add a free
link here to salute
you actively
promoting reuse and recycle
in the Western Isles
Macaskills Home Furnishings

Need a
Waste Transfer Note?
There is an option to
request one if you offer
goods for reuse or
recycle in our
Western Isles Auction

Western Isles Recycle!

When we get to
100 Hints
Lets make a booklet!

Western Isles Recycle!

Add your creative ideas to this long list of ways to reuse plastic

Is the rumor true
that soon rubbish
will be ferried
to Lewis from the Uists
as the landfill sites
are filled and closed?

How long?

Western Isles Recycle!

Crofting skills
in the
Outer Hebrides

resourceful
Inventive
not wasteful
inventive

Leading the way...

Western Isles Recycles!

Useful web sites:

Snaffle Up - The recycling web site designed to keep useful items out of landfill

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