How can I reuse or recycle … drinks stirrers?

Drinks stirrerI’ve recently started drinking mixer type drinks in pubs – lime and lemonade, that sort of thing – and because of the heavy cordial involved, I usually get a stirrer or straw in my glass.

I also know a lot of cafés and coffee shops still use plastic stirrers rather than spoons for take-out drinks. So what can be done with them?

The pub ones are usually pretty sturdy plastic – and can be cute like the one in the photo – whereas the hot drinks one tend to be flimsy. Suggestions for either?

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7 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle … drinks stirrers?”


  1. attilathehen says:

    If I had ones like the photo, I’d keep them in a glass for drinks at home. The horrible little white plastic ones could be used to mix up small amounts of paints for crafts. The best thing, is, I suppose, to avoid them and take a flask.

  2. Kathleen says:

    I am always looking for some way to mark my plants. Sure, I could buy the white plastic ones, with spaces to write on. They don’t last, and I really don’t need to ‘label’ as much as I need to indicate where I’ve just planted or made a transplant.

    Something like that would work better than my stand-by: popicle sticks.

    Hope it helps,

    Kathleen
    MarginsXs.com

  3. Delusion says:

    The sturdy ones could be used as “stakes” for young plants.

  4. Elouise says:

    Make mocktails (alcohol-free cocktails) as an activity with kids, perhaps on an occasion of celebration. I expect they would like to drink fancy ‘grown-up’ drinks, decorated with crushed ice, fruit garnishes and swizzle sticks/stirrers in cocktail glasses. Kids love copying adults, particularly if it pertains to an adults-only activity.

  5. Gill says:

    A Girlguiding friend of mine uses them in a fundraising activity at local galas/fairs. She packs sand in a tub and then puts a label on the round end (eg sweet or sorry no prize) then sticks them into the sand. She has also used them for a simple hide and seek game (hiding them around a campsite/building) and setting challenges for kids to collect certain colours etc

  6. Bad Monkey says:

    Along with an empty yoghurt pot, use it as a stick for homemade ice lollies, use different fruit juices and keep the kids entertained making their favourites :-)

  7. Bad Monkey says:

    I have also used these along with wine bottle corks, drill the cork thru the middle and cut the small end off the stirrer and push it thru the cork and make a large sea fishing float or pike float, then with a very small drill in the bottom end i drilled an eye hole for threading the fishing line thru, then paint up as required in bright colours.



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