DIY Eco-Gifts For Recyclers On Your Holiday List

Maybe one of the biggest differences between growing up in my childhood home and my children's home (mine too), is that now we all recycle. This one small act is something each and everyone of us can do at home to help save the planet.

I was totally floored during a recent conversation with an obviously intelligent woman who blurted out, "I don't recycle." It opened a floodgate of comments here. Recycling is such an integral environmental issue that I come back to it often -  as I did last week in this post, "5 Reasons Why People Don't Recycle and 5 Reasons They Should."

We need to continue to cultivate a culture of recycling. I wrote about setting up a recycling center with my son in his first apartment here. Maybe, just maybe, we can begin to make a dent into the environmental mess we've made.

What do all good recyclers need? They can never have enough recycling bins.

DIY Gift Idea: Recycling Bin and Labels

Recycling bins perform an important task, but the bins themselves are pretty utilitarian. Here are two novel DIY gift ideas: This Barn Wood & Chalkboard Bin is made from a reclaimed wood bin that has been painted with chalkboard paint. Use low-VOC blackboard paint from Hudson chalkboard paint to label the contents of the bin. Or, you can just print out a sheet of personalized DIY Recycling Bin Labels.

I love the clever labeling on the recycling bins in the main image. It makes you think about all the possibilities, while raising awareness.

For 5 more recycling center ideas CLICK HERE.

Photo: Apartment Therapy, VivaTerra

DIY Gifts For The Junk Collector On Your Holiday List

There are two types of junk collectors:

1. The collector who is constantly acquiring stuff, and the junk accumulates in every nook and cranny of their life. It forms the deadliest of all junk - clutter. 2. The collector who is constantly acquiring stuff and finding creative reuses for it. These folks are the ultimate recyclers as they repair and repurpose the trash to make treasures.

Pete Seeger said it best in his song, "If It Can't Be Reduced"

"If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production."

Collecting stuff seems to be a human instinct. What would be the best gift to give a collector to help them get a handle on all their junk?...Organization.

Here are 10 Out Of Sight Out Of Mind DIY Boxes to deal with the organized mess, and here’s how to help identify what’s in the box:

DIY Chalkboard Labels

Materials:

Eco-friendly colored chalkboard paint – I like Hudson Paint because there are over 20 beautiful colors to choose from, it’s a low-VOC paint and it is a small local company.

Paintbrush

Old greeting cards

Scissors

Chalk

What to do:

1. Cut greeting cards to size. 2. Paint blank side of card with chalkboard paint. 3. Let dry. 4. Attach to box with glue.

Photos: unknown, Hudson Paint