We’ve had an email from Amanda Bowens, asking for ideas on how to reuse or recycle butter wrappers.

The cheapest blocks of butter that I see tend to be wrapped in heavy duty grease-proof paper – so I guess they could be used as you’d use grease-proof paper – but what about the wrappers with the metallic print on the outside? They’re a bit more foil-y than standard paper but not full on foil-a-go-go.

Are they just paper (so can be recycled with the usual paper recycling) or something different?

Any suggestions for reuses?

(Photo by bb_matt)

When he can be bothered, John writes a hideously geeky webcomic and we sell tshirts based on the “characters”. To ease the whole packaging and posting process, I use laser-printed mailing labels and while I try to minimise waste by only printing in full sheets of 21 labels at a time (I always need return address stickers), there is always a sheet of A4 ‘waxed’ paper left after I peel off the labels.

I doubt it’s properly waxed paper but it’s got a kinda non-stick coating on it so the labels peel off easily. My betting is that said ‘wax’ is more than likely to be plastic-based so potentially throws up some issues for recycling.

Does anyone know if these spent sheets can be recycled with normal printer paper? And either way, does anyone have any ideas for how these sheets could be re-used around the home or office? I also end up with loads of small ‘waxed’ sheets from customs and Airmails stickers so any suggestions for smaller sizes would be great too.

This is another of those that I can’t believe we haven’t thought about yet: printer/photocopier paper.

It can, obviously, be recycled: as far as I know, most doorstep recycling schemes offer paper recycling and in all the places I’ve worked, there has been a green bin in the office for at least recycling white paper products, if not all different types like brown envelopes and newspaper.

However, I know not all offices are so green-focused without prompting – does anyone have any good strategies for getting employers to starting caring about this type of thing? Or know of any companies that offer recycling services to business?

And what about ideas for reuse? If something had only had printing on one side, I would either use the other side for printing drafts or make the blank side into scrap notepads (held together at the top with a bulldog clip). But what about other suggestions for reuses, including for when both sides have been printed on? And what confidential matter that can’t spend the next three months on the back of a notepad?

(Oh, and we got mentioned in the Guardian yesterday – if you’re here after reading that mini-article, hello! And if you want to know how to recycle said copy of the Guardian, we’ve plenty of ideas for recycling and reusing old newspapers.)

So, another year comes to an end this weekend and that’ll mean that a whole load of 2006 diaries and calendars will the heading to the rubbish heap.

If you have calendars with pretty pictures on, I guess you can cut out the picture to keep for future use/enjoyment, but what about other calendars now that you no longer care about the dentist appointment you had last August or your reminder to buy milk in May?

And what about all those used desk diaries and pocket diaries?

And on a bigger scale, what about those year planners hung on the wall of every office?

(Photo by ask)

It’s John’s birthday today and while between the two of us, we’re not big gift givers, he’s sure to receive presents from family and friends.

Back when John and I first met and still gave gifts, he once wrapped my birthday present in newspapers and elastic bands, with a spoon for a “bow”, but his friends and family are more traditional when it comes to gift wrapping.

So what can we do with the gift wrap once its cast aside? Even with careful opening, it might not be in big enough pieces to use for any substantial present wrapping in the future so what are the alternatives?

And with Christmas around the corner too, any special ideas for reusing or recycling festive Christmas wrapping paper?

(Photo by shanii)