Gettin’ Boxy

Plant it

Cardboard is used to ship 90 percent of all products in the U.S. It’s a sturdy mainstay that’s easily reused and recycled. Non-toxic and biodegradable, recycled cardboard takes 25 percent less energy to manufacture products than the use of virgin materials to make new cardboard.

Water it

• Moving sometime soon? Have a lot of old junk that’s going into storage? Cardboard boxes are easier to come by than you may think, and you won’t have to dumpster dive to get them.
• Recycle your cardboard at home by adding it to your compost pile. Make sure to remove any tape or staples before you add it into the mix.
• Feeling really ambitious? Cardboard furniture is not only popular, but inexpensive to make if you’ve got the DIY spirit.

Grow it

• Construct homemade puzzles with your family using sheets of cardboard. Use a box cutter to slice the box into squares or rectangles. Then, glue photos over them and cut them into piecs. Use the family time to explain the importance of recycling and reusing to your kids!
• What kid doesn’t love a big refrigerator box to camp in, or make a fort? Save large boxes for a little outdoor enjoyment and imagination. Just make sure the rain doesn’t come before you recycle it, since wet cardboard can’t be recycled.
• Start a small, cardboard box “co-op” with your friends. Store your boxes (when flattened, they barely take up any room in your garage), and when a buddy is in need, let them borrow it. Having resources from a few people could make small moving jobs or projects that much easier by knowing you already have the box covered. Plus, it saves you from having to shell out the extra cash for new boxes!

<!-- .entry -->

 

Source: Earth 911