No, no, not the things that run around causing women to stand on chairs and scream in 1960s sitcoms (to paraphrase Douglas Adams), but the computer ones.

From our transistions through the various ages of mice, we’ve got a number of old filthy-rollered mice lying in cupboards around the place. As I mentioned on the old mouse mats post, we usually use track pads these days or optical mice if we need anything a bit more precise, so those old clogged up ones are just going to waste.

Any ideas? For either the whole mouse or any of its parts?

(Photo by weirdvis)

Mmm, orange squash. I go through a litre of it a week. I just can’t get enough of the water, orange fruit from concentrate (12%), Glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, citric acid, acidity regulator (Sodium Citrate), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin), Flavourings, Stabliser (E466), Vitamins (Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B12) and Colour (Beta-Carotene). Plus, a source of Phenylalanine? Mmmm-mmm.

The plastic bottles though, they’re not so tasty. I realise we’ve already brainstormed plastic milk bottles and water bottles but anything specially in mind for these babies, given they’re bigger and tougher?

A few years ago, a neighbour of ours decided to make it ‘snow’ in her front garden by spreading from packing foam all over the place. Then, thoughtfully, she didn’t brush it up after Christmas and instead left it to get blown by the wind until the whole street was covered.

I bring this up now because we found half a dozen of the little gems in the compost heap yesterday and it enraged me anew.

So any suggestions what my neighbour could have done with the foam instead of “decorating” our street?

(Photo by Daino_16)

Another suggestion from Em:

Thanks for the light bulb ideas – really great.

Cheers, Em

We use them until they’re dead too and I worry about reusing them if they’re food gacky – but any suggestions anyway, particularly if the gack level is low?

(Oh, and I’ve also had an email from a chap called Antony who wants to find a company that makes cardboard boxes from recycled cardboard – if anyone has any ideas, leave a comment below or email me and I’ll forward along the message)

Now that the lovely internet is here for our every need, I can’t remember the last time I used a phone book. But still, every year or so we get phone books, Yellow Pages, Thompson directories…

They sit on our shelf for a little while, gathering dust and taking up space, then, during one of his many ill-timed cleaning frenzies, John will suddenly want to get rid of them and won’t rest until they’re out of the house or at least relocated to somewhere not in his frenzy path.

So any ideas on how we could reuse or recycle them? What do you do with them?

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