Re-use: The Forgotten Green "R"?

Of the "3 R's" of responsible environmental practice - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - we seem to spend a lot of time thinking about the first and last (and perhaps even practising them to some degree).  But the second seems to me to get neglected.


As well as reducing the amount of packaging we use, I've been trying to make it a rule for myself to try to reuse as much of it as possible in some way before it eventually goes to be recycled or, if absolutely necessary, dumped.


This little series has a few ideas on uses for all that plastic...

First up, the wrappers on large Cadbury's chocolate bars (Caramel being  a particular weakness in this household) make excellent labels for plants or indeed anything else you need to identify outside - in the case in these pictures, air-drying sausages.

They're essentially the same as the labels you get on plants from garden centres.  Cut the wrapper in long strips about 15mm wide.  Turn over one end so it's doubled up and cut down lengthways, creating a slash.

Write the information you need with a laundry pen or similar (on the inside of the wrapper), then wrap the label around the plant (or whatever) and pass through the slashed opening to tie. 


They seem to be pretty strong against the elements, and the writing survives the rain fine as long as you use an indelible marker.