Recycling plastic, paper and metals helps reduce the waste that goes into landfills. Turning recyclable items into projects helps teach children the value of preserving materials and limiting waste. As well, using items you already own instead of purchasing new items saves money. There are hundreds of potential recycling projects.
Denim
A soft but sturdy fabric, denim from old jeans can become a diary or book cover, a purse, cut-off shorts, a rug or a bathroom accessory. Use sharp scissors to cut old jeans into small, easy to work with pieces and use them like regular patches or fabric. Sew two denim pieces of equal sizes together using a needle and thread to make a portable denim pocket. Sew several pieces of denim together to make a denim rug. Glue denim scraps to a notebook to decorate a journal.
CDs
Compact Discs can be turned into ornaments. Decorate the CD using glue, glitter, felt, old fabric or sequins and tie a string around the middle of the CD. Since CDs are shiny, they make eye catching Christmas tree ornaments. You can also use CDs as the main component of a magnet or letter holder.
Paper
Old paper can be turned into scraps for paper mache. Tear paper into strips and dip in a liquid glue made from 3 parts glue to 1 part water. Place paper mache strips around an object you can later remove, such as an inflated ballon. Allow the strips to dry and harden for several days, then carefully remove the object. Decorate the remaining shell with paints or markers.
Cartons
Turn a milk, juice or soup carton into a bird feeder. Wash out the carton and allow it to dry. Cut a hole in the side of the carton, halfway down to the bottom, and remove a small square of the carton. Fill the inside of the carton with bird seed and tie the carton to a tree.
Bottle Caps
Turn traditional bottle caps from glass bottles into lockets. Clean the bottle cap. To make a locket, glue a thin, short strip of fabric to the inside edge of a bottle cap. Glue the other end of the fabric to a second bottle cap. Glue a small picture on the inside of one or both of the bottle caps and run a string or chain through the fabric that attaches the bottle caps. Fold the fabric to make a "locket." If desired, decorate the outside of the bottle caps using paints.
