recycling

National Waste Policy Promises Simpler PC Recycling

10:30AM Angus Kidman | Individual PC manufacturers have offered takeback schemes in the past — some good, some not so good — but we haven’t had any concrete plans for a national scheme to make any PC you purchase easily recyclable. Until now. More »

Build Modular Shelves Using Glass Bottles

7:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Most people drink while working on a DIY project, in this case you’ll need to drink just to get building supplies. More »

HP Launches Top-Secret Takeback Program

3:00PM Angus Kidman | Hewlett-Packard is now offering free takeback on old HP equipment, but trying to work out whether you’re actually near a convenient recycling centre has been turned into a ridiculously contorted process. More »

Recycle IKEA Flat Pack Boxes

12:00PM Angus Kidman | IKEA’s flat pack philosophy might mean goods are cheaper and they fit in your sedan, but they also leave you with some seriously large cardboard boxes at the end. Is overfilling your recycling bin the only solution? More »

Make An Outlet-Mounted Charge Station From A Shampoo Bottle

12:10AM Kevin Purdy | Giving your cell phone or iPod a semi-permanent, clever-looking home on your wall doesn’t have to cost more than a couple of bucks. A used shampoo bottle and some basic tools are all that’s needed for MAKE’s outlet-mounted “charging pocket.” More »

Recycle A Cardboard Tube Into Fabric Napkin Rings

7:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | The cardboard tube inside rolls of cling wrap or aluminium foil is particularly sturdy and well-suited for craft projects. Turn one of those sturdy tubes into attractive napkin holders with this tutorial. More »

Turn A Wine Bottle Into A Terrarium

7:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | It’s no ship in a bottle, but it is a novel way to add some low-maintenance greenery to your desk. With a little bit of patience, you can turn a wine bottle into a terrarium. While it may not be the first thing you’d think to recycle a wine bottle into, the results are pretty neat. Inspired by the awesome terrariums designed by artist Paula Hayes, seen below, Dr. Vino tried his hand at turning an empty bottle of rose wine into a moss filled terrarium. More »

Turn A Scrabble Board Into A Picture Frame

6:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | If you have a copy of Scrabble that is past its prime—perhaps missing a few pieces here or there—turn the board into a unique picture frame. Over at the photo tips and tricks blog Photojojo, they have a tutorial on turning old game boards into picture frames. The tutorial has step by step instructions for converting a Scrabble board for picture mounting, but includes photo samples of other boards. What makes Scrabble boards so suitable for this repurposing, aside from their near-ubiquity in closet shelves, is the framing possibilities with the word tiles. Photojojo’s project requires some thin cork backing, a utility knife, ruler, tape, velcro tabs, thumbtacks, and glue, along with the game itself. Not a particularly outlandish supply list, and many of the steps can be tweaked if you’re missing just one item. Turn a Scrabble Board into a Picture Frame [Photojojo] More »

Recycle Cardboard Boxes Into A Durable Cat Scratching Pad

1:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Craft a supremely cheap and furniture-saving scratch-pad for your feline friends with this tutorial from the Design Sponge blog. It’s free and friendly to both the environment and adorable kitties. The post author, like many cat owners, noticed after a few purchases that store-bought scratch pads are little more than stacked corrugated cardboard, flipped sideways for clawing. Since most of us probably have a few thick-sided cardboard boxes to spare, or can easily acquire a few, there’s hardly any effort to making a cheaper subsitute. Once you’ve got your boxes, all you need to do is carefully cut them to be the same width, then wind the strips around each other. With a little masking tape to hold it all together—and a dash of catnip if you have it handy—your cat will be shredding the cardboard instead your favourite chair (hopefully). If you already have the scratching post side of things taken care of, you could always build a kitty chaise lounge. DIY Project: Recycled Cardboard Kitty Pad [Design Sponge] More »

Building A PC Case From Spare Shampoo Bottles

4:30PM Angus Kidman | A feature of Linux.conf.au 2009 in Hobart is Batteries Not Included, a tech-influenced art event — and one of the more striking installation ideas is the Frank Zappa Project, a garbage bin for collecting plastic shampoo bottles from delegate hotel rooms to be recycled into casing for machines built as part of the OLPC project. As of Thursday, the bin isn’t looking too full, but I’d expect the volume to grow as the conference nears its end and people use up their shampoo. (Alas, I’ve been unable to contribute myself, as my hotel has fixed-to-the-wall dispensers rather than individual bottles.) More »