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?

After the disposable razor post the other week, I decided to make a concerted effort to avoid using them in the future and stick to using my rechargeable electric razor instead – and then, of course, said electric razor died.

I don’t know if the battery just stopped holding charge or if something mechanical went wrong with it suddenly but either way, it’s now an ex-razor.

Any suggestions for ways I can recycle or reuse the razor itself – presumably a battery as well as the actual shaving bit – or the related charger? With the growing popularity of rechargeable batteries in electronic devices, I suspect there is a growing mountain of electrical adaptors with proprietary connectors that are no longer needed once the device has died or is replaced because it’s the wrong shade of chrome for this week’s fashion. So any ideas what to do with them?

We’ve had an email from [Am]:

My partner and I have been wracking our brains trying to find a use for the plastic dental floss packaging. The part that holds the floss and has a little blade at the top.

I’ve looked for company websites to see if they can be returned and used to no avail!

I’ve just popped our pack open to see what the deal is with them – it flipped open really easily but I have forced it in the past during a previous curious moment. Because it flipped open easily and inside is just a spool, I guess you could refill the spool and use it for other things – but aside from cotton, I can’t think of anything else that would work. And I suspect it would be more hassle to refill the spool with cotton rather than just using it of the reel itself.

Has anyone else go any other suggestions for refilling the spool? Or other uses for the packaging?

(Photo by carlohh)

We’ve had an email from Andrea:

Sometimes I buy assortment packs of adhesive bandages (we call them Band Aids whether they’re Band Aid brand or not) and when I’m through with all the regular ones I’m left with the small round spot ones. I haven’t figured out why that size and shape exists to begin with.

Is there any use for them?

My guess would be that they’re for people who have to inject themselves regularly but since I have a complete and utter needle phobia, I’ve got a pile of them here too. I’ve recently started buying own brand plasters that are just different rectangle shapes but have a number of random shaped ones left over from previous boxes – those little circle ones, and the (for want of a better description) butterfly shaped ones particularly.

So any suggestions for alternative uses?

(Photo of a standard shaped plaster by monique72)

I use plastic disposable razors. I admit it but I’m not happy about it.

I don’t use them that much – just for my armpits say, once a week (since I’m not that hairy and/or bothered) – but it still seems incredibly wasteful.

I’ve tried using ones where you just replace the blade – but they always go rusty really quickly and so work out really expensive for the amount I use them – and I have a rechargeable electric razor for my legs – but that doesn’t work well on my pits for some reason – so I’m left with the disposable ones. Boo.

Any suggestions for reuses or ways to recycle them? Or other ideas?

(Photo by chris2k)