How can I reuse or recycle flip-flops?
We’ve had an email from Hannah:
What can I do with old flip flops?
I’m presuming Hannah means the cheap foam ones that are omnipresent in the summer but sadly disappear into the dark, dusty backs of cupboards as soon as autumn arrives, never to re-emerge.
Because, toe-thong aside, they’re pretty much just foam shapes, a lot of the suggestions for foam drink holders and foam swim float will apply here too such as floor protectors under furniture legs, cut up/carved for foam stamps, or used as knitwear blocking boards or boards for macrame. If they’re not too, um, footy, they could maybe also be used as a fun noticeboard – a few pairs walking along the wall would be super-fun :)
Any other suggestions?
If they’re really dirty, flip-flops can be cleaned fairly well with stain remover or dish detergent and a nail brush. I was going to toss my pale blue ones last year because of the horrible footprint shaped stain, but they came a lot cleaner than I expected!
In the ‘Science of Survival’ exhibition, they had building materials (flooring, I should think) made of discarded foam flip-flops. You can read my post here:
http://covertoperations78.blogspot.com/2009/08/science-of-survival-exhibition-and.html
And here’s the link to the pic:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oVvCYxtlKQo/SoLL2Jh6ZzI/AAAAAAAAAlY/IJqLuFPNCYw/s1600-h/SOSFlipFlops.jpg
I wonder who is collecting them for recycling, though.
I wear them at the shower