Christmas and all that seems a distant memory now but we’ve had an email from Alison, saying:

We took our decorations down last week and some of the long chains broke. They’re the shiny foil type – can they be recycled?

Now I’m not sure whether they’re actually made from foil – I suspect it is more likely to be plastic but I’m not sure. Anyone know?

If they are made from plastic or are even just part plastic, I doubt you’ll be able to recycle them with your normal foil/cans/metals recycling so any reuse suggestions?

When I was a kid and our decorations used to get too scratty to use in the living room etc, I used to snag them to use in my bedroom instead so maybe keep them for kids to use next year – or shorter lengths could also be used to decorate a cubicle or the like at work.

You could also take advantage of the fact they’re light and for want of a better word, fluffy, and use them for protective packaging when sending items through the post or around presents in gift boxes.

Any other suggestions?

(Photo by bugdog)

We’ve had an email from Angela, asking:

I currently work for a company of a little over 200 individuals. I have recently noticed how much money we spend and general waste we generate from our desk supplies alone. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of room to store items such as metal and plastic desk top sorters, wall files, book ends, and monitor boosters.

How can we recycle these items? I have looked up local recycling facilities but haven’t found anything that seems to match our need.

If they’re still in good condition, I think the focus should really be on reuse rather than recycle.

I suspect small local charities would be able to use them – but that might be too piecemeal to make it practical. It would be worth offering them on your local Freecycle group though, just in case.

Any other suggestions?

(Photo by dekok)

We’ve had another email from Am (aka Delusion):

Ahh yes I’m back with yet another suggestion!

Does any one have any idea how to recycle or reuse them? We have both the nylon and the metal kind of string!

John plays guitar too and I’ve got an old set of metal strings in my “things to do stuff with” box. The thicker strings – which look to be tight coils rather than a single straight ‘string’ – might work for jewellery but I’ve not tried it yet. Anyone else used them to make anything? Or got any other suggestions?

(Photo by CraigPJ)

So we’ve covered cigarette packets and ashtrays but what about the related flame devices?

I realise the most obvious answer to this – like with disposable razors – is don’t use them – use a refillable one instead. But, for one reason or another, a lot of people can’t/won’t do that so end using disposable ones.

So what can be done with them?

Assuming it can be separated from the metal mechanism, can the plastic be recycled? Anyone know what number it is or does it vary?

And what about the mechanism itself – any reuses for that? Or the lighter as a whole?

(Photo by pulp-o)

Had an email from Brian Hunting:

I’ve got an office waste paper bin, the wire framed sort, that’s gone rusty. After it left rust stains on the carpet my wife banned it from the house.

I thought about making it into a hanging basket for the garden but think it’ll be too deep as is and I don’t know if I’ll be able to cut it down without losing its shape. I wondered if your readers had any better suggestions instead.

So then?

(Original photo by brokenarts)