Monday, 29 October 2012

An invaluable tip


It happened like this. Having a vague idea that you can't recycle old telephone directories, I thought I'd google it, and guess what? Not only can they sometimes be recycled (check with your local authority. They'll probably play you a nice tune while you're waiting to be transferred from extension A to B to C....you know how it is).
 
Or - and here's the really useful bit - you can, and I quote:
"Get creative with Reuse. Use the whole book as a booster seat: Simply cover it with the fabric of your choice and seal the seams with fabric glue or a needle and thread. Use the bulky directories to dry leaves and flowers. Shredded phone book pages can also be used as a substitute for packing peanuts, which are not biodegradable."

How about that? Just imagine. Long winter evenings making pretty covers for old telephone books, pressing your Christmas roses, or packing up all those peanuts you've got lying around. It beats a bottle of wine and a good DVD any day of the week, doesn't it?

17 comments:

  1. Redefines the word 'simply', doesn't it? And I'm totally baffled by 'packing peanuts' (and will never eat another one - I don't knowingly ingest non-biodegradable substances).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On reflection, I think "packing peanuts" could possibly be those polystyrene bits used to pack things. But I'm not looking it up as I prefer to imagine people packing up peanuts in shredded phone books.

      Delete
  2. I love the booster seat idea, Frances. One of my nephews has just become a father for the first time, and lives in a major metropolitan area with big, fat phone books. I must suggest this to him, although his wee son is a long way from sitting up.
    K

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trouble is, Kay, that our phone books are getting ever thinner, and are now unlikely to do any boosting at all!

      Delete
  3. Not sure that booster seat idea would get past the H&S mafia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your tip comes just at the right time for me, Frances, thank you :-) My good neighbour has taken it upon himself to fetch the new phone directory for the entire house, and now they have been stacked on the windowsill in the hallway for about 2 weeks with notoby wanting them... whenever I need a number, I look it up on the internet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As much fun as watching paint dry! Would never have thought they couldn't be dumped in the recycle bin.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I certainly dump mine in the recycle bin. Otherwise you've got to be pretty desperate to go to such lengths for something to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'll follow your example, Maggie. So no pretty booster seats for us!

      Delete
  7. Oooh, do you think I could cover several telephone directories in pretty material and sit my lap top on them? They'd then be at the right height and with a proper keyboard and mouse plugged in I can type away without getting a sore neck. I wonder if I've any curtain material let. Curtains and laptop stand to match! Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, Lynne! Why didn't I think of that?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Time was hanging rather heavily on my hands . ....

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm just catching up on your blog, and interesting enough, I just did a post on phone directories...great minds think alike? Or fools seldom differ?? Smile.

    ReplyDelete