We’ve had an email from James:

I had a bit of a ding on my bike the other day, nothing serious but the front wheel ended up a bit crooked. I’m going to change it at the weekend but don’t know what to do with the slightly bent one. Ideas?

You could see if a bike recycling group (like re-cycle) could fix it - or if they work with youth groups, use it as a teaching aid.

Aside from that, train ivy/honeysuckle or something up it in the garden to make a themed feature?

Any other ideas?

(Photo by przybysz)

[10] comments

We’ve had an email from Timothy asking “how can i reuse or recycle old snowboard bindings?“.

As my knowledge of snowboarding on extends as far as playing ‘SSX’ on the XBox, my first question was “what are snowboard bindings?”. Wikipedia informs me they are the bits that hold the snowboarder’s feet to the board and can either be as simple as straps or complex moulded hard plastic things. (Someone please correct me if I’ve read/written that wrong.)

So any suggestions?

(Photo by aculine)

[4] comments

We’ve had an email from Becki Marsh Cox:

I go swimming at my gym everyday and even though I rinse them straight afterwards, my swimsuits always begin to thin after a couple of months. I usually go for cheap costumes but have had the same experience with more expensive ones.

I was wondering if you or any of your readers knew any secret ways to make them last longer or ways I can use the fabric elsewhere? It’s usually the bit stretched across my chest or the seams on the straps that goes first - the rest is fine. Thanks!

(Photo by dinny)

[16] comments

We’ve had an email from Paul Smith asking:

I’m really interested in how one would recycle a yoga mat? One of the old school, pvc based ones, not the eco friendly one (which I have now).

If Paul means the type of mat I think he means, they’re a long thin piece of foam, about 6ft long and 2ft wide (185cm by 66cm ish) and about half an inch (1cm) thick. Depending on the requirements and the thickness/flexibility of the foam, they can either be rolled up like a camping bedroll or are left flat (the ones at my uni gym were like that).

So any suggestions for reuses? Or are there any recycling options if somewhere (like a gym) was getting rid of them in bulk?

Paul doesn’t say what condition his yoga mat is in - some of the ones at the uni were bashed to smeg at the sides and going thin where they’d been doubled up - so re-use suggestions for falling apart ones would be good too, just in case.

(Photo by bharat - I couldn’t find a picture without a ball in it too, so just imagine that’s not there :) )

[10] comments

Had an email from Scott Tillman:

I hate throwing away old furniture, but sometimes there’s nothing left to do but mulch that old wood and move on. That’s fine except now I have the slate top to an old pool table (so its about 4′x8′x1″) and I’m trying to figure out what I can do with it.

I’m a handy-man, so no idea is too crazy. I have thought about building a new base for the pool table, but I don’t really have a rec room big enough to use it. And I _really_ don’t need a 500 lb. chalk board.

If it’s in a good condition, I guess you could use it as dining table top - but only if such a heavy and striking feature would work in your house.

The other idea that springs to mind is Freecycle in case anyone else in Scott’s area could use it as a pool table or whatever - but it sounds like he’d like to use it himself - so any suggestions? Remember crazy isn’t an issue : )

(Photo by cmx82)

[10] comments