Nancy writes: 

“This week’s assignment is The Three R’s — Reduce, Recycle, and Re-use.  I thought since today is Earth Day and this month is Arbor Day that we all could share ideas or tips that we use for recycling, reducing or re-using items in our home.  Do you recycle at all?  Does it just seem nearly impossible to recycle?  Trying to catch every piece of trash that goes into the garbage is a hard one for me too.  I have a friend who is very diligent with it and so are her children!  It amazed me to see how they re-spect nature and use the Three R’s in their home.  I challenge you all to write about your ventures with recycling, reducing, and re-using your trash and take a pledge to at least try to use some of the tips that you read about on this assignment.  Don’t forget to add your favorite scripture for this assignment.”

I touched on this subject Monday.  We do recycle and try to reduce our trash creation and energy consumption.  It isn’t always easy, though.  It takes some effort.  The kids try to do what is right, but turning off lights seems to be one of the big issues with them.  I would love to say that we do all that we can to help the planet, but there is so much more that we can do.

When it comes to re-using things, though, that one is easy.  Here are some things that are most often re-used in our home.

1.       Plastic gallon milk jugs.

a.      We make bird feeders/houses

b.      If you cut off the bottom you have a big scoop for gardening or feeding large animals.

c.      They also make a great funnel without the bottom.

d.      What to do with the bottoms?  Put them under plants to catch water.

e.      After cleaning them out thoroughly, we fill them with water and freeze them for the cooler when we go camping.  This serves double duty.  Not only does it keep the food cold but when it melts we drink the water.

f.        I’ve made Easter baskets and bunnies to put candy in from them.

(Visit 35+ Uses for Milk Jugs for more ideas)

2.      Glass jars

a.      We use these most often for little critter jars.  What a great way for the kids to examine nature.

b.      The smaller jars, especially baby food jars, make cute little vases when the kids bring in those lovely dandelions with short or no stems. : )

c.      And who can not forget that they make great catch-alls for coins and other tiny things that you have no idea what to do with but are afraid to throw away because you just might need it someday.

d.      At one time, I made my husband a cabinet to store his nuts and bolts in.  I framed it out with scrap wood making two shelves inside, gathered up a bunch of baby food jars, nailed the lids to the bottom of the shelves and then screwed the nuts and bolts filled jars back on the lids.  Unfortunately this project has since disappeared, but it worked well.  My dad still sorts all his workshop items in jars.  Makes it so easy to find what you are looking for.

e.      We have painted the jars and filled them with candy and other things to give them as gifts. (My daughter made the two in the picture)

(Thrifty Fun has some wonderful ideas for reusing jars. Be sure to read the feedback for more ideas.)

3.      Egg Cartons

a.      Oh, the versatile egg carton, great for sorting small things. We always have one ready when we are making the furniture you get in kits.

b.      The crafty use of egg cartons are numerous.  We have made all kinds of things including games, critters, and strange creations.

c.      They make wonderful seed starter trays.

d.      We store those tiny ornaments for the mini- Christmas trees in them.

e.      I use them to store my quilling pieces.

(TIPical Mary Ellen, Green Living, Thrifty Fun, and Make Stuff have some other ideas you may use.)

Lastly, the newest item we found to reuse that really doesn’t pose a huge threat to the environment because it breaks down fairly quickly, is dryer lint.  My son has been collecting this for a while to use on his Boy Scout campouts.  Apparently it is a great fire starter.  Then I saw that you can make clay from it on School in Our Home’s blog.  After doing a little web search I found some other interesting uses that I might try.

(Check out All Free Crafts and Thrifty Fun for some ideas.)

The passage I have been thinking on this week is Genesis 1:26– And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Be sure to stop by Nancy’s blog for more Blogger Friend School fun.  And while your at it, why not join the fun yourself.