We’ve had an email from Katie Beedham, saying:

I found some old apples at the back of my fridge today. They haven’t gone off, but they’re not crunchy enough to eat raw. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas what I can use slightly soft apples for?

My immediate thought was “apple pie?” but I know nothing of the way of the fruit since I don’t partake and for all I know you might need really fresh apples for that.

As for non-culinary uses, if you have oily skin, you can use apples to make a facemask: most guides, like this one suggest mixing some grated apple with honey, and maybe a little oatmeal for a bit of exfoliation, then slapping it on your face for ten minutes or so, then rinse it off with cool water.

I also have a feeling they’re useful for making some sort of metal sparkly clean but the computer manufacturer is hogging all searches – anyone know if they can be used for household cleaning?

And what about other suggestions?

(Photo by darotyka)

Just before Christmas, Ruth sent us an email asking “how can I recycle these?” and attached this photo of some rather creepy dolls and assorted other figures.

The obvious answer for any toy in good condition is donate it to a charity shop or charity for another child to enjoy – but I know from personal experience dolls quite often don’t make it out of a childhood in good enough condition to donate.

Perhaps they’ve had an extreme haircut to many, lost a limp in a freak hoover accident or learned an important lesson about tattoo permanency after having “make love not war” biroed in huge letters up their soft rubber legs (sorry Sindy, you looked so much more of a hippie than those overly groomed Barbies).

So I join Ruth in asking, what can be done with those type of dolls?

We’ve had an email from Matt, saying:

My parents turned there old dishwashers into compost bins. Dad cut the back out and the hinged door becomes the lid. Sure, it’s a bit ugly but in the garden you hardly notice it – you could paint it – but either way, it’s better than becoming landfill.

It certainly is. And most dishwashers I’ve met have had quite insulated shells so would keep the heat trapped inside and keep things composting along nicely.

Any other suggestions about things to do with broken old ones?

We’ve had an email from Ann:

Hello – we regularly receive medications shipped to us in a foam cooler, packed in plastic-wrapped foam cold packs (with some sort of liquid embedded). It’s easy to recycle the little cooler at the recycling center, but I wonder about the cold packs, since they contain the liquid. I hate to send them to the landfill. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I can’t find any pictures illustrating what Ann means but she assures me they’re “they’re liquid filled packs with a spongey, foam material inside too”.

If they’re suitable, I’d be tempted to keep one or two coolers and cold packs for using on picnics or the like – but that’s only one or two and by the sounds of it, Ann needs a more long-term solution.

So any ideas?

UPDATE: Ann’s sent me a link to the packs on the manufacturer’s website and said she’s going to contact them to see what they suggest – and hopefully she’ll feedback to us if she hears anything :)

When we get together with our friends, we’re just about the wildest, craziest group of trendy 20-somethings you’re ever likely to meet.

We’re so wild in fact that the other night some of us had MORE THAN ONE LOLLIPOP while we were sat around chatting. (I stuck to one because I don’t want to develop an addiction – it was very nice and orangey though).

By the end of the night, there was a small pile of plastic lolly sticks on the table and I wondered “how can I reuse or recycle them?”

So how can I reuse or recycle them? For those that aren’t as wild as us lollipop-heads, they’re a thin, cylindrical tube of plastic about 6cm (3inches) long and just a couple of millimetres in diameter. I guess they’re similar to plastic Q-tip/cotton bud sticks.

(Photo by Bubbels)