John bought some apples from a supermarket a couple of weeks ago. He didn’t want a full pre-packed bag and the loose ones were bruised and icky because it was late in the day, so ended up getting four in a shaped foam tray. Said apples got eaten and said foam tray got left waiting for its next use.

We’ve already looked at flat foam veg trays – and there have been some good suggestions that would work well with shaped trays like these (especially the paint-mixing ones and the packing material ones) – but is there anything else that can particularly take advantage of the curvy bowl shapes?

An email from Kathy:

OK this probably isn’t going to be a common thing people will need to recycle but I was cleaning out a cupboard at work and found some old glass test tubes. I have no idea where they came from but don’t want to throw them away if there is anything fun to do with them.

They’re not spotless so they must have been used at some time, no idea what for, some of the stain look almost waxy, but now most of them are just dusty.

I remember a few years ago, there was a trend for drinking shots out of test tubes but if you don’t know what’s been in them, you probably shouldn’t be using them as glasses for your next party… I’ve also seen them used for single stem vases – but I guess you’d need some sort of holder too.

Any better ideas?

(Photo by Vierdrie)

John pulled a muscle in his neck last weekend so has been sucking down ibuprofen tablets all this week.

Like the powdered baby milk containers, the blister packs are mixed materials – plastic for the “blisters” and foil underneath – does anyone know if they can be recycled?

Or anyone clever reuses for the blister bits? They’re so small – and without a “lid” once the foil has been popped – that I can’t imagine there would be many uses but I hate to think of anything as lacking a reuse. So suggestions?

(Photo by Vincitrice)

We’ve had an email from Annie about a little find of hers:

I’m not sure what to call this, its a little basket that was in a tub of feta cheese (I rescued it out of the bin!). About 10 cms high and with a ready made hook on the back. There has to be a use for it…

I would worry about using it for heavy things because the hook on the back doesn’t look too sturdy but I would guess there are plenty of holding-things ideas – perhaps tying a loop of string through the loop and hanging it from a washing line for pegs? Using as a (non-hanging) desk tidy?

Anyone got any more creative ideas, particularly using it for things other than just holding stuff? Ideas to take advantage of the squares in the side and the little holes in the bottom maybe?

An email from Melinda Goodick:

In the course of seasons, we have accumulated many inflatable mattresses and beach/pool toys and also sledding tubes from the winter. They were fun, but once they go flat, the fun is gone. What can we do with them besides their intended use?

I’m presuming by “go flat” Melinda means they haven’t got a valve for refilling with air. We’ve also run into similar “what shall we do with this?” issues in the past with inflatables when they’ve split along the seam and the holes too big to realistically puncture repair.

So, ideas?

(Photo by winjohn)