How can I reuse or recycle glue stick tubes?
We’ve had an email from Brett, saying:
Hi, I saw your lip balm story last week and it reminded me about something. We go through loads of Pritt Stick at work. What can we do with those empty tubes?
I’ve contacted the company that makes Pritt Stick about the recycling side of things but until they get back to me, does anyone have any reusing ideas?
Office or school related ideas would be best as I suspect that’s where they’re used in the largest quantities but any ideas would be welcome. :)
(Photo by gradient)
(By the way, would it make me sound like a wannabe glue sniffer if I mention how much I’m now craving a smell of UHU magic glue sticks after seeing pictures of them in my picture search? ;)
The only thing I can think of is to cut the lids down so that they are a lot shallower and to pop a picture in it, bit of magnet on the back and voila – a fancy magnet for your fridge. They would make great presents if you chose the images to suit you recipient!
How about giving them a good wash, filling them up with cordial and putting them in the freezer. Then when frozen, take the stick and knob out the bottom of the tube and you have lollies! Only thing I’m not sure about is how water-tight those things tend to be.
Pour melted crayon pieces into it. Make it into a crayon.
Great idea!!!!!!!!!!!
If they’re small ones, try making your own lip balm and filling them full of that. Or maybe if you’re into cycling, fill one full of grease for keeping in the saddle toolkit. If you’re into camping, they’ll keep your matches dry.
try this. clean out an old gluestick
then remove the guts what you have left is a tube and a screwcap or a push on cap.
take the cap from another identical stick and glue it to the other end of the tube . now you have a little tube that can be used to hold various things{money,toothpicks,survival kit, etc}
dont forget to recycle the leftover bits.
ellmers has a program
You could reuse your old glue stick by making it into a retractable blusher/ face powder brush. Clean the old glue stick out, use scrap fabric and old necklace beads stuck on with pva to cover the writing on the cover. Cover the lid in a similar way. Cut the head off a blusher/small paint brush drill a hole down the centre of the remains of the handle and stick it on the retractable sprial part in the glue stick container so that the head can be full retracted when not in use. PVA should work for this. Show your friends, and encourage them to reduce, reuse and recycle.
I can’t remember the website where I saw the idea, but you can fill it with melted butter and then keep it in the fridge for use on toast, corn on the cob, etc.
the crayon was great. thanks for the info.
use them to fill with homemade deodorant (about the consistency of slightly ‘sandy’ lip balm) ….I know I thought ‘eeew gross’ when I came across making my own deo – but now I’m smelling incredibly fresh.
(In case you wanted to know , I make it from very finely ground chalk powder, bicarbonate of soda ground very very finely in a pestle and mortar, enough coconut oil for it to stick together, and a few drops of tea tree oil)