How can I reuse or recycle swimming caps?
We’ve had an email from Jennie:
Can you recycle swim caps?
It’ll depend on what the caps are made from but the answer to actual recycling is probably no. According to Wikipedia, they can be made from latex, silicone or lycra: silicone is recyclable, but not collected widely for recycling while latex and lycra (spandex) aren’t recyclable on a large scale yet.
If they’re still in good, usable condition, the best thing to do would be able pass them on to someone else who can use them for their original purpose – through a charity/thrift shop maybe, or through your local pool.
And what about reuses?
(Photo by coudron)
I’m thinking that the water-carrying abilities/waterproofness may be useful for something. It could turn out to be a good waterproof purse-thingy for stuff you don’t want to get wet when hiking/camping etc. If it’s one of the flimsier/more stretchy ones, you could cut it into large elastic bands perhaps?
I bet they work nicely as a jar opening grip.
Recently someone suggested to me I should bleach my hair in horizontal stripes. After some thought we figured it might work if we got one of those caps the hairdresser uses to pull your hair through to bleach streaks and cut slots in it, pulling sections of hair out through one slot and then under again in the next one, exposing horizontal strips of hair. We wondered where we might get a cap, and this is a possible answer!
I’m not sure if it would work, and I’m especially not sure about how the chemicals in the hair dye/bleach might react with the cap (depending on what it’s made from) so it warrants further investigation.
If you cut them in circular strips, they can be used like a rubber band
I own the uk’s only gunge tank hire company and we DESPERATELY need old swim caps!
vampyrescene@googlemail.com
07874694016
Thanks
Leigh