Reuse your old bins

[MaryPole]

Spare a thought for your old black plastic dustbins.

With the advent of the new system of recycling all our old plastic dustbins will be “homeless”.
Taking pity on them we decided to brainstorm some alternative careers they might pursue!
After five minutes we came up with the following:
o Use to grow potatoes – put main crop seed potato in the 12 inches of soil at the base and add more soil as the plant grows.
o Use to grow carrots without carrot root fly - fill the bin with light soil and plant carrots. Root fly don’t like heights and will only fly within 18 inches of the ground.
To save some digging cut the bin down to 18 inches in height and then sink in the ground with the upper lip at surface level.
It could then be used for the following:
o Use to cultivate plants that would otherwise bully your flower beds e.g. Mint, Bluebells.
o Use for plants that prefer acidic soils e.g. azaleas, heathers. Fill with ericaceous compost.
o Make a fountain. Plug the hole in the base, add a small pump, carefully fill with rocks and add water to taste!
We are sure the list can be added to – so spare a thought for your homeless dustbin!!!!

Mike Pollard



As we approach the introduction of using wheelie bins for all our household waste, you may find that your current refuse bin becomes redundant. Here are some suggestions for how to put your old bins to good use:
Water Butt – Assuming your bin does not have any holes in it, use it as a water butt to collect rain water from roofs and gutters. You will then still have enough water to water the garden or wash the car during the next hose pipe ban. Oh, and you may save money on your water bill too.
Grit/Salt storage – fill it full of grit or salt to spread on your paths and driveways ahead of next winter and the inevitable cold icy spells.
Bird Seed Storage– Plastic bins make a great place to store large bags of bird seed. Stock up today so that you can regularly scatter seed to feed the birds and entice wildlife into your garden.
Compost – Play your part in helping the environment by turning your waste into compost. To turn your bin into a compost holder you may need to adapt it by drilling holes in the bottom of it.
Gardening – Have you ever gone to pick up the 50+ litre bag of peat and had it split open and spill all over your shed or garage floor? By storing such gardening materials in your old bin you can avoid spillages.
Sporting/Equipment Storage– Where do you put footballs, frisbees, tennis rackets, basketballs and cricket bats in your garage? For years, schools around the country have used plastic bins to store sports equipment. Why not do the same?
Tool Storage – Do you hate having your shovels, forks, rakes, edgers and other long handled tools falling all over the place? By putting them in a plastic bin in the corner of the garage or shed you can make storing them a lot easier, not to mention safer.
Charcoal/Firewood Storage – Whilst not a lot of people use charcoal or firewood these days, this is another storage solution that your bin could provide.
Drinks Chiller/Cooler – At your next BBQ, fill your bin with a mix ice and water, and hey presto, you have an outside chiller for all your beer, wine and soft drinks!

And now some ‘alternative’ uses for your redundant bin:

Why not turn your black bin into a Dalek for the next Dr Who themed fancy dress party?

Use your bin to collect your saw dust whenever you do household DIY. In no time you should have enough to use it at the lucky dip stall of the next summer fete.

For anyone who has a steel bin, simply turn it upside down and draw some circles on the bottom using a permanent marker pen. These make an ideal steel drum and with enough practice, you will be able to form Westminster Park’s first steel band. Please respect your neighbours and do not practice at unsociable hours, since steel drums can be very noisy!
Julie Sams

[dcraggs]

We use bins to store bird seed and nuts - works well, but we put bricks on the lids to stop the squirrels getting in and having a feast!