We’ve had an email from Peter Hughes asking simply:

How can I recycle memory sticks?

I’m presuming he means USB memory fobs and not the bits of strips of memory used inside computers – but when broken, the latter make fun keyrings for geeks.

I had an idea of incorporating a small USB stick into a necklace – as a pendant – or other jewellery but I intended these to be functional rather than just decorative.

So any suggestions on ways to recycle or reuse them if they’re broken?

(Photo by woodsy)

John and I went out for dinner the other day and someone on the next table to us was eating a big bowl of mussels.

After she’d finished her fishy starter, there was, of course, a big pile of shells left over – which naturally got my recycling juices going.

They’re not realistically compostable in most gardens because they’ll take so very long to break down and may attracted rodents in the meantime – so any suggestions for how they can be reused instead?

Are there any large scale recycling/reusing purposes for them that restaurants might be able to get involved with?

(Photo by lusi)

We’ve had an email from unsteadyocean:

I was just wondering if anyone has suggestions for reusing the cloth bags that bulk rice comes in? I’ve seen suggestions for making them into tote bags but I would love to get more ideas.

Around here, they tend to be plastic-coated cloth or just woven plastic – but either way, ripe for re-using.

So any suggestions?

(Photo by kirsche222)

We’ve had an email from Rob Williams:

I collected silver foil/aluminium foil for a lady at work and she gave it to a charity. She has now retired and I still have a growing pile of foil. Does anyone know of a charity that wants this? I’m told it is a ‘valuable’ commodity.

Our doorstep recycling includes aluminium foil so it can easily be recycled – but as Rob asks, does anyone know of any charities that collect it?

And since we’re all about reusing, while we’re on the topic – any re-use suggestions?

(Related items: we’ve already covered foil pet food trays and foil chocolate/sweet/biscuit wrappers.)

(Photo by nlHarri)

We’ve had another email from Am (aka Delusion):

Ahh yes I’m back with yet another suggestion!

Does any one have any idea how to recycle or reuse them? We have both the nylon and the metal kind of string!

John plays guitar too and I’ve got an old set of metal strings in my “things to do stuff with” box. The thicker strings – which look to be tight coils rather than a single straight ‘string’ – might work for jewellery but I’ve not tried it yet. Anyone else used them to make anything? Or got any other suggestions?

(Photo by CraigPJ)