Back in the day, before I realised what an ecological nightmare they were, I used to yoink the mini shampoo bottles, soaps and leftover shower caps from hotel bathrooms, particularly when we stayed in fancy hotels and they came in interesting bottles and smelled of great things. I built up quite a collection and I know I’m not alone in doing so (hi mum!).

These days we take our own (full size or thereabouts) supplies with us when we go away but I’m also still working through the stack of these little bottles in the back of the bathroom cupboard.

Aside from refilling the empties for gym/spa/pool sessions when you don’t want to lug a full bottle of shampoo or shower gel, does anyone have any other suggestions for reusing these little single-use-size critters?

A couple of our friends smoke and while they usually roll their own, occasionally a cardboard hard pack ends up floating about too and it makes me wonder what they can be re-used for – since they’re pretty sturdy but light constructions.

Spies in films use them for hiding bugs or recording equipment in, but what about us lesser, real-life mortals?

Any suggestions?

(Photo by logic)

I’ve had another email from Sally Harrop:

We have a large amount of student furniture (beds, desks, lamps, chairs etc) to dispose of – 250 rooms worth. Can anyone suggest anywhere this may be usable?

Sally is based in Bradford and since I’m down the road in Leeds, I’ve already suggested a few local furniture charities to her: CHASBradford, Emmaus Leeds, and Poverty Aid. I know there are other smaller ones too but these seem to be three of the biggest furniture charities in the West Yorkshire area, so are probably more likely to be able to handle this large amount of furniture.

University accommodation departments and hotels around the country, indeed around the world, must find themselves in this position quite a lot. The obvious answer is for them to keep using the furniture until the end of its life but that’s not always realistic in these situations for one reason or another. So feel free to suggest any links to furniture reusing/recycling charities – especially ones that can handle large amounts of stock in one go – and say what geographical area they cover, in case anyone else in Sally’s position needs some inspiration.

(Photo by moria)