OK…You find yourself in a pandemic and also under a self proclaimed SIP. You have to use what you have at hand. What novel ideas have you come up with? Not only to limit your trash, but a way to dispose/reuse your “trash”? These are a few things I have been thinking I would do and would appreciate a lot more ideas!
What do you throw away? What could you do with it if it was all you had? Ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Compost faeces, or even better biodigest them to have gas. Careful with flames, of course.
Use boxes to have more solarcookers.
My mom made quilts with batting made out of her & my dad’s old army uniforms.
lugon…I guess you can compost human waste, but it should never be used as a natural fertilizer for plants which are to be consumed. The same goes for animal bones, etc. I recently read an article in Backwoods Home Magazine..Something I have read for years and really enjoyed, that had an article in it about making biodiesel. Too much work for me, but some out there could handle it. I think the same would go with making, storing, and using homemade methane. But I’m sure that there are many who are probably much better equipped than I to take advantage of such a source.
go for rechargebal batteries,(+disposables), when their lifecycle is over dispose them safly. Make sure any old antibiotics are burned.
I’ve saved boxes for making solar cookers to give away and bought extra heavy duty aluminum foil - need to get black paint and more cooking bags.
Soda and water bottles we’ll likely be refilling with water, but even a tin can with a few holes knocked in the bottom of it can be dug into a little way into the ground next to a garden plant. Water the plant by filling the can so that the water drips slowly into the soil. You’ll save on water used for irrigating your vegetable garden and do a better job of watering besides.
That’s a great idea Inky…I was wondering what I was going to do with hundreds of “tin” cans. :)
Tin cans: save big ones to bake bread in on an open fire. I’m going to experiment soon with that one. Save the big ones as well for a “rocket stove”-- uses little fuel. Medium sized cans can be nail-punched and used for candle lanterns — add a bail for carrying. Small ones (tuna cans) can be filled with a cardboard coil and wax for a “buddy burner.” (I’ve never made one of these but having a few dozen around seems like a great idea for emergency cooking.)
Catalogs and old newspapers — hey, this was TP before there was TP! Remember how there was a nail on the old outhouse wall to hang the catalog from? Wasn’t just for browsing Sears & Roebuck!
Plastic grocery bags can be cut into strips, looped together, and knit or crocheted into tote bags, slings, hats waterbottle carriers, or even braided into rope.
Fabric scraps can be used for any number of things - — braid into rope, make rugs, patchwork quilts, tote bags, even sandles and slippers, jacket linings, whatever.
Old leather shoes can be cut up and made into gaskets to put into the older style water faucets when they drip. Same with leather purses, which can also be used to patch or replace the soles of slippers or shoes. Old leather pieces from shoes, purses, leather clothes can be used for a lot of things — knife sheaths, hatchet belt sling, braided for rope or belts, repair things that were made of rubber but not obtainable, machine parts and belts. (not really too strong, but in a pinch ….. and even dog toy chews.
Broken stoneware dishes can be used to sharpen knives or other tools.
Animal fats can be made into rush lights or candles. Smokey, though) and you can use vegetable oil for same.
toys and arts and crafts for the kids — they will have to be kept busy with fun quiet projects.
Ninepins or bowling game out of plastic bottles down a hallway, use a regular ball. Plastic milk bottle caps make nice game markers, like for checkers; cardboard from a box will make a nice board. Draw your own deck of cards and use bottle tops for chips.
Use scrap paper and flour and water paste for all kinds of art projects and house decorations, and even costumes. Brown paper bag masks. Make homemade Christmas cards. Tinfoil from candy wrappers will make nice Christmas decorations.
Cut small strips of scrap paper and roll them into tiny cones, us the cones to trim picture frames, make models of houses, build xmas trees, or whatever. Kind of like paper legos. Use water and flour blended for paste.
String together pasta shapes as edible jewelry.
If you have tins snips, and a hammer and nail, big tin cans can be made into candle lanterns or hurricane enclosures to protect candles. Take off top and bottom, cut down one side and open out, and you have a candle (or other light) reflector. All kinds of useful things can be made from tin cans. Remove lid, and two holes on the top lip and a piece of rope or wire and you have a small bucket. snip the sides from top to bottom in six or eight places, then roll the edges down and you have a small ashtray or dish.
Wear tough leather gloves when you do this.
tin cans as small flower pots for plant starts and indoor gardening. Tin cans for storage, or packaging for food givaways. Tin cans as water glasses, mugs. Open up and flatten out and hammer onto wood and you have a type of aluminum siding or even shingle repair.
heddiecalifornia – at 18:44 I believe you’ve started a cottage industry here! I’ve been concerned about the mounds of cans I’ll have when this is all over. At least half of the cans in my pantry can’t be opened at the bottom and therefore can’t be flattened(like in the good old days). I think I’ll print out this thread to add to my pandemic folder!!
Northstar – at 18:29 Be sure to post your results with baking bread, cause I’m going to have a lot of 10# cans laying around.
Tried and tested for you
Use cardboard cylinders from toilet rolls as plant starters, with a little newspaper at the bottom and top with earth, put seeds, then, when plant is strong enough, plant directly in ground, they degrade naturally.
Any type of square cardboard box, not too high, fill with earth and seeds, put fridge glass shelf on top, that’s a nursery for starting plants
Use condoms you may not need for wrapping around water tube connections to make them tight instead of teflon tape.
This is late in the season, but cut the top and bottom off of aluminum soda cans; bury them bottom down in your garden with about an inch sticking up above ground. Plant your tomatoes inside each one. This will keep snails and slugs off the plants. <CAUTION: sharp edges!>
To keep ants away from tomato plants, and to give them a slightly sweeter taste, put a teaspoon of sugar into the planting hole then plant the tomato plant on top of it. It really works…
I may have been too quick to post my response to Lugon at 18:11 regarding composting human waste. What would have been more accurate to say is that in a common compost pile, the type that most of us would be dealing with, human waste should not be added as the temperatures inside this type of compost pile will not reach sufficient temperatures to kill the pathogens in human waste. When composting is done specifically to deal with human waste, is done correctly and for the appropriate length of time, it can be done. Here is one link that is an interesting look at the process. The article is based on an interview with the author of “The Humanure Handbook,” by Joe Jenkins.
Even if the entire process discussed is not possible due to your situation, the idea of the sawdust toilet, might be a solution for some, as a manner to deal with the waste until something else could be done with it. Perhaps a type of compost that you wouldn’t be growing “food” in, but would be suitable for other types of fertilization.
This is a little thing but my grandmother always did this and I still do. When you wear out a button up shirt, or any clothing with buttons, clip off the buttons to save them for replacing lost buttons on other clothing or making new garments. She would always put them on a length of thread or light cording and tie it together so she could keep like buttons together. I can’t remember when we haven’t had a button can.
anonymous – at 15:52 - I do, and the same with zips and elastics and anything that’s re-sewable, and pieces of nice fabrics (embroidery) that can be used again sewed on another garment, or as decoration for pillowcases or napkins.
Ever heard of “Ugly Bags” ??
While I have 2 very good sleeping bags for my mom & I; I have made alot of these for giving out to the homeless. They are basically, a home-made sleeping bag…very easy and fast to make. Even the kids and guys can make these !! Possibly used as a barter item ?? I often included pockets on the inside; to hold, socks, pjs, toothbrush, etc.
Ever heard of “Ugly Bags” ??
While I have 2 very good sleeping bags for my mom & I; I have made alot of these for giving out to the homeless.
They are basically, a home-made sleeping bag…very easy and fast to make from recycled clothing, curtains, bedspreads, blankets, and 2 mens’ neckties, perbag. Even the kids and guys can make these !! I often included pockets on the inside; to hold, socks, pjs, toothbrush, etc.
Possibly used as a barter item ??
Heres a pre-pandemic recycling project that came in handy-
Couple of weeks ago dh came down with a case of food poisoning. I had gotten, for free, a small bucket- w/lid(2 or 3 gal) from the local deli. I found that a plastic grocery bag would just fit inside as a liner-nice little “barf-bag”. After he recovered, I kept the bucket(disinfected of course) and stuffed it full of those plastic bags, plus a package of disposable gloves, and a pac of disinfectant wipes, and a pac of tissues and babywipes. Put the lid on and tucked it away in a corner of our bathroom. Couple of days later 12 year old daughter had too much junk food/carnival rides at county fair-the bucket really came in handy. Just pick it up and everything is there.
Denium from old jeans make GREAT quilts. Use denium squares cut from old jeans on one side, any cotton fabric on the other-I have used calico and flannel shirting. No batting is needed just tie the sides together with yarn and bind off. My kids LOVE these.
Kitchen recycling-
I have two teens and two dogs-no leftovers at this house! Organic waste- egg shells, coffee ground, peels etc go into the compost. Milk jugs-rinsed and used to store water-(for plants, NOT for people-or for washing/flushing toliets. Cut apart used for grain/animal feed scoops, funnels, compost buckets, clothespin holders, plant waterers, temperary cloches. soda/juice bottles-cleaned used for water storage Glass jars-dehydrated veggies, do it yourself mixes, seeds for next years garden Big ones can be cut and used as plant cloches. cardboard-big pieces I use in the garden in the paths/around beds to keep weeds down. Small pieces used for fire starters. Small amounts of brown cardboard can be composted.
Plastic is a bear. With prepping, I sometimes buy large qualities of items held together with shrink wrap. (Hate the stuff) I’ve been pulling the packaging apart, and disposing of the extra plastic/cardboard so I wont have to deal with it later.
Denium quilts also make great pet blankets, as you can shake them outside and the hair really falls off well ! I use these on all my furnature with the cat. ( who NEVER has fur balls, cuz he just “lets it FALL ! )
They also wear well, and don’t show the dirt easily.
YEs, my kids like to throw them on the floor and watch tv. They are also great for camping.
I only have 1 cat but he is a big ol boy ( 22 pds ) . I reuse his kitty litter buckets, by lining them with a plastic bag first. I wash and bleach them first. I found that you need to use a liner, because after time, the bottom sometimes cracks. Not the best bucket in the world, but it serves my purposes,…and they don’t smell after bleaching.
I also re-use his cat food cans ( the flat ones ) , making them into Buddy Burners.
I made a great buy today at Hobby Lobby ! They have 10 lb blocks of plain wax … they were raising the prices today from 9.99 to 13.99 !!!! There were still some marked 9.99 and some of those were broken, wrappers junky, etc. I talked to the manager…ended up getting Eight 10 lb blocks for 8.00 each !! 80 pounds for 64 bucks ! Woo Hoo !!
Can opened vacuum bags be reused?
And what are Buddy Burners?
Buddy Burners flat are cans like tuna and cat food cans, washed & dried….put in a tight coil of cardboard strips, add a wick, then fill with melted wax. They burn inside a Hobo stove, or a chafing dish contrapion like a can of sterno, only you can blow these out when done.
I’ve found that if I make the center coil with the wick separately….it works better. I make another semi- tight ? coil of cardboard, fit it inside the can, then take my finger and UNwind it…there’s room for that center coil with the wick, and everything’s really nice & packed in there.
Buddy Burners are flat cans like tuna and cat food cans, washed & dried….put in a tight coil of cardboard strips, add a wick, then fill with melted wax. They burn inside a Hobo stove, or a chafing dish contrapion like a can of sterno, only you can blow these out when done.
I’ve found that if I make the center coil with the wick separately….it works better. I make another semi- tight ? coil of cardboard, fit it inside the can, then take my finger and UNwind it…there’s room for that center coil with the wick, and everything’s really nice & packed in there.
Thanks!
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