In
keeping with my February post “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle” I stumbled upon a great repurposing
idea of my own this winter. I
have always composted my organic scraps — sometimes just leaving them in bowl
or plastic bag until I was able to make a trip to the compost bin.
With a sink full of carrot peels that needed to be composted, a just emptied plastic Cascade dishwasher detergent pod container, left sitting my kitchen counter, caught my eye. In went the carrot peels! It is clear, has a secure green flip top lid, and a compact yet ample size to hold a few days’ worth of organic debris. And if I want to store it out of sight, it fits easily under the sink. Voila!
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| It works! |
I
could not stop there. Although absolutely functional it was not very attractive.
The labels were impossible to peel off so I decided to experiment with some
crafting and, at the same time, thinking this could be great a handmade earth friendly gift for children to make. How could I decorate this
container in a way that would be easy for them as well ? I decided to do a collage of all
things that you can compost. My colleague Mindy works and crafts with children
all the time and told me about Mod Podge—wonder glue and coating that is safe
for children to use. With materials in hand (I used the highly water resistant
outdoor formula), a little research and pictures cut out of magazines of all things compostable, I started to
create an organic collage over the labels.
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| Finished Product! |
It came out pretty cute, if I do say
so myself, and most importantly, works like a charm! I have been using it for almost a month now
and the Mod Podge sealing is standing up to frequent rinsing.
If you are looking for a project that is suitable for children who can cut and paste start collecting these containers. It's a great gift for the Earth, Mom and Dad!
Don’t forget Earth Day is April 22! It is never too early to teach children about being good stewards of planet Earth! How will you celebrate Earth Day?
