Wed 19 Dec 2007
I’ve recently started going swimming at my local pool and every time I go (three times a week at the moment - yay previously incredibly unfit me!), I see old polyethylene (?) floats waiting in the bin to be thrown away.
The pool is pretty much constantly used to for children’s swimming lessons so they must go through loads of them as they get beaten up and (I guess) start to deteriorate because they’re constantly ducked in chlorine-y water.
The floats are either small, flat boards (about 30cm/12inches square) or long, thin cylinders of foam like giant haircurlers.
I think about asking to take them but worry they’re just end up cluttering up my cellar unless I can think of good ways to reuse them. So any suggestions?
(And yes, I will be using the save-the-swimsuit and reuse suggestions for my old swimming costumes. ;) )
(Oh, and apologies to anyone reading the site through an RSS reader who saw a bunch of spam links at the bottom of a post the other day - we got slightly hacked… We’ve looked into it and hopefully it won’t happen again - but if it does, please let us know — thanks to Helen for the heads-up this time)





Malva
December 19th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I think they would make a good surface to block knitted items on. Some people use those giant puzzle pieces made of a similar material as a blocking mat. Something similar could probably be built from those.
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VP
December 19th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
They could be used as insulation for e.g. in a cold frame where plants are being overwintered.
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Wen Rou
December 19th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Nothing crafty, I just thought using the flat boards to sit on the floor or on the grass (if you don’t want to get your clothes dirty) Or they can be use when working in the garden, so you can step/knee on the soil easily.
About the ones that are like giant haircurlers, I thought of cuting them, so you have many flats circles, and make christmas ornaments.
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molliewobbles
December 19th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I like the sitting-on-the-grass idea! you could make little pillow-case inspired covers so you wouldn’t have to sit on the gross peely old board. you could get pretty crafty!
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Arnold
December 19th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
You can suggest they get made in compostable material - then you can just chuck them in a compost heap in small strips. Visit link and ask if it’s doable!
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jen
December 21st, 2007 at 2:43 am
Archery targets
boffing weapons ( a game kids play-they make swords sheilds etc from pool noodles and foam )
giant puzzle pieces for kids
cut into foam stamps
knee pads for gardening or whatever
cut into cushions and cover for outdoor furniture
padding for the ground around swingsets?
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jen
December 21st, 2007 at 2:45 am
oh, bulletin board?
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graymama
January 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I use a swimming board as a macrame board. The T pins fit in so well! You could see if a local middle school is doing some macrame projects (maybe friendship bracelets). They could use all of the old boards :-)
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TweedBunny
January 13th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
The best use I’ve seen for these things is to make Halloween Gravestones props out of them.
Use a razor blade, stencils, and faux stone spray paint to design whatever you want, then insert stakes for great yard decorations!
http://www.madhauscreative.com/one%20dollar%20graves.html
http://www.virtualplacebo.com/halloween/props/graveyard_stones.htm
http://halloween.home2garden.org/make-a-halloween-gravestone/
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Alice
January 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
They would insulate incredibly well - putting them around a hot water tank would help it get warm and stay warm, saving fuel and therefore money and the environment.
If you had enough you could use them to do the loft too!
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CTP
February 5th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
i save all “expanded” products like these (and the obvious styrofoam packing/cups/etc.) and repurpose as insulation in my basement and attic. relatively large flat, stiff shapes like these can be good for filling specific holes, whereas most styrofoam i end up breaking up into smaller popcorn pieces and filling cavities.
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renee
February 9th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I’m an ex-swimming teacher. we would cut them up and string them to make the floating dividers so that classes wouldn’t bump into each other.
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Katie
February 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Make a lifejacket
I found two discarded ones on the beach so I made them into a lifejacket, for my kids, using an old raincoat, or old swim suits. I cut up the coat into the shape of two vests added binding and tied them at the sides, so you have one float on the front and one on the back.
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