Following on in our vaguely spring-cleaning inspired cleaning week here on Recycle This, I received this email from Helen:

How do I recycle plug in air freshener? My daughter has been diagnosed with allergies and they’ve recommended no air fresheners now. I’ve got four to get rid of.

We’ve not used them so I’m basing my advice on reading/looking at pictures rather than hands on experience but I think they’ll be classed as electronic waste – they seem to be a plug with a small heating/vaporising/expressing element, which I’m presuming is some sort of electronics. If that’s the case (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), then they should be recycled along with other WEEE waste, wherever it’s collected near you (usually the local tip/household waste centre).

It would be better to reuse it before sending it for recycling though – perhaps try passing them along to someone who might still use them (they could be Freecycled if no one in your family/friends circle wants them).

And while we’re on the topic, I know the point is to buy refills for them but can they be refilled at home instead – with essential oils or whatnot? Anyone got any suggestions on how to do that? Possibly still not a solution for Helen but it may save some waste for other people.

Any other recycling advice or reusing ideas?

We’re having a cleaning-themed week here on Recycle This – yesterday, we talked about reusing or recycling bleach bottles but today I’d like to think about making and have a question for you guys:

what have you reused or recycled to make reusable dishcloths or pot scrubbers?

A lot of people knit or crochet dishcloths or tawashi scrubbers from either new cotton or reclaimed stuff – but there are also how-tos for making them out of plarn (plastic bags turned into yarn) for a more abrasive dishcloth/scrubber.

Less involved, onion nets can be very quickly made into scrubbers – just followed in on themselves to make a ball/scrubber shape.

What have you used to make them? Any pattern suggestions?

Inspired by clearing out of bathroom cupboards this morning, I thought we’d have a cleaning themed week here on Recycle This. We’ve covered various cleaning related things in the past – pump action spray bottles, washing powder packaging, “freshener” shakers and reducing the amount of cleaning products used – but there are still a few things we could think about reusing, recycling, upcycling & reducing.

We’ll talk about more specifically cleaning alternatives later in the week but bleach, and so bleach bottles, is a candidate for reduction. There are alternatives to such harmful stuff in plastic bottles. But some people are a bit “prise it from my cold dead hands” about bleach and will never be parted from it, no matter what us vinegar loving hippies say.

All the ones I’ve checked have been made from HDPE – type 2 plastic – and most areas that collect plastic collect resin code 2 plastics so they can be recycled but I think reuses might be harder to identify. They feel less reusable than, say water bottles or pop bottles – because of the chemical residue, because they’re thick opaque plastic and in the case of some of them, a quirky bent neck for getting under toilet rims.

Anyone got any reusing/upcycling ideas though? Do you do anything with yours or do you just throw them into your recycling bin?

We’ve had an email from Nicki:

How can I recycle a futon? I think I’ve got a friend who will take the frame but she doesn’t want the mattress. What can I do with that?

I suspect, like all mattresses, they won’t be too not too popular secondhand as they’re hard to clean, especially if they’ve been slept on a lot. Occasionally used ones may be more popular on Freecycle/Freegle.

When we were talking about mattress frames a few weeks ago, I mentioned an article on radical recycling of mattresses – some of those reuses would apply to futon mattress too.

The frames are easier to pass on (as Nicki has already found) – furniture charities may be willing to take them even if they don’t want the mattress for bed bug/dirtiness reasons. It also might make interesting garden furniture.

Any other suggestion for the frame or the mattress?

(Photo by SusanMcM)

Every now and then I realise I’ve had some great ideas & links sent to my email but not shared them with you yet – this is one of those times!

First up, Vernon got into touch to tell us about his plastic bottle creations. He says he’s been making them for 15 years and sent me pictures of a wind twirler and a flower made from old bottles – but this bird was my favourite – such a fun character!


And speaking of creative characters, Mario Caicedo Lange sent us a link to his Flickr account featuring the “arts, props and crafts” he’s made from recycled materials. He makes little robot style creatures – with many of his recent onesdoubling up as plant pots!


Next, Malcolm was in touch to tell us about Juzi jewellery – chunky beads made from recycled magazines by two self-supporting cooperatives in Kenya. Turning colourful magazines paper into beads is a fun way to recycle them yourself – but if you’re not a crafty sort, then this seems a great way to get the look and help others at the same time.


Agy on Green Issues Singaporeemailed to say she’d created two new lampshades – one from an old tshirt, the other from an old computer keyboard. Two very different looks but both fun!

Thanks for all the emails guys!