If you live anywhere near Dewsbury, West Yorks (in the UK) and like music, real ale and sausages, you should head down to the pub in the train station this weekend for their “Beer, Bangers and Blues” festival.

How does this link to recycling, you might be saying to yourself? Well, John’s “acoustic folk-country-scifi-gospel fusion band” The Gillroyd Parade are playing on Saturday and like all good acoustic folk-country-scifi-gospel fusion bands, harmonicas are used quite liberally throughout the set.

I didn’t know until recently that harmonicas have a limited life span. I just assumed they were like trumpets or whatever – with care they’ll last for years and years – but the reeds inside harmonicas get warped quite easily (particularly when the player bends notes) and once they’re damaged, that’s pretty much it unless you want to play bum notes.

So what can be done with these harps once they’re no longer fit for their musical role? Any practical or arty ideas? I’ve included the second picture to show off the individual inside bits of the instrument, which I guess could be used separated.

(Photos by cralize for Wikimedia Commons)

We’ve had an email from Becki Marsh Cox:

I go swimming at my gym everyday and even though I rinse them straight afterwards, my swimsuits always begin to thin after a couple of months. I usually go for cheap costumes but have had the same experience with more expensive ones.

I was wondering if you or any of your readers knew any secret ways to make them last longer or ways I can use the fabric elsewhere? It’s usually the bit stretched across my chest or the seams on the straps that goes first – the rest is fine. Thanks!

(Photo by dinny)

An email from Kathy:

OK this probably isn’t going to be a common thing people will need to recycle but I was cleaning out a cupboard at work and found some old glass test tubes. I have no idea where they came from but don’t want to throw them away if there is anything fun to do with them.

They’re not spotless so they must have been used at some time, no idea what for, some of the stain look almost waxy, but now most of them are just dusty.

I remember a few years ago, there was a trend for drinking shots out of test tubes but if you don’t know what’s been in them, you probably shouldn’t be using them as glasses for your next party… I’ve also seen them used for single stem vases – but I guess you’d need some sort of holder too.

Any better ideas?

(Photo by Vierdrie)

An email from Melinda Goodick:

In the course of seasons, we have accumulated many inflatable mattresses and beach/pool toys and also sledding tubes from the winter. They were fun, but once they go flat, the fun is gone. What can we do with them besides their intended use?

I’m presuming by “go flat” Melinda means they haven’t got a valve for refilling with air. We’ve also run into similar “what shall we do with this?” issues in the past with inflatables when they’ve split along the seam and the holes too big to realistically puncture repair.

So, ideas?

(Photo by winjohn)

We’ve had an email from Phillip Levenson:

I own a joinery manufacturers and i produce a lot of wood shavings which is mixed softwood and hardwood shavings and some dust i am struggling to dispose of it quicker than i can produce it.

I have a couple of people who take it from me who own horses. Do you know of any other ways of maybe recycling the shavings?

Untreated and unpainted wood can be composted but any reuse ideas?

(Photo by slafko)