another "what to do with..." post

[kt~mommy]

other than throw it in the garbage?

--- old cloth (worn out underwear, fabric scraps etc). i really want to shred it for pet pillows... is there such a thing? (man, why isn't there a cloth recycling bin?!)
--- partially used bath products (lotions, deoderants)
--- expired or unused medication (don't want to contaminate water supplies by dumping them in the toilet! don't want to toss in garbage...)

[Magelet]

I think there are some pharmacies take back old meds to dispose of safely. (not sure what that means). I think they have to be in the original containers, so they know what they are. at the moment I have a lot sitting around the house, since the main pharmacy I knew did this closed, and I haven't checked the other local pharmacies.

[amber913]

I have definitely heard of using fabric scraps to make pillows. If you don't do family cloth and have any interest, that's how i made mine--just cut up old clothes, wash cloths, etc.

Lotions and deodorants--that's a toughy. I've been trying to figure that out, too. I gave most of mine away to a close friend once i went all-natural. Close friends don't usually care if the lotion's open. Some may not care if the deo's used! That same close friend then bought me some more non-natural stuff. Ugh.

[LaughingHyena]

We do have cloth recycling so a lot of stuff gets put in there. I save some rags for yucky jobs, then then do just get thrown in the bin.

I have used shredded fabric for stuffing, be careful not to cut it up to finely though, I found worn out fabric shreds to dust pretty quickly. For that reason I would not want to use it for something I spent a lot of time working on as I would expect to have to restuff it pretty soon.

I do know someone who used old clothes to fill there kids beanbags when they got fed up of the plastic beans. I don't think they were quite as comfortable but they were OK.

My kids love cutting and sticking so we use some scraps of fabric for that, DD is also just getting into sewing so I have started cutting the nice printed bits from t shirts for her to practice with

[-Grace-]

Rag-rugs.

[kt~mommy]

Originally Posted by -Grace-

Rag-rugs.

yes! i have a bin in my basement full of old clothes (mostly dh's old tee-shirts) i plan to use for some rag rugs. i do have lots of scrap fabric (like bits cut off from sewing projects) that wouldn't really work for that...

[proudmomof4]

- family or mama cloth, if it's flannel, t-shirt, or terry-cloth
- re-usable "paper" towels for messy jobs

- old shampoo etc.: use for cleaning the toilet (FLYlady says "Soap is soap.")
- lotion might work on some shoes or furniture (try out in a little spot first) / Unused items are probably best passed on (friends, women's shelter, ...) if you don't want to just use them up yourself.

[luv-my-boys]

DH is somewhat of a t-shirt whore. HE loves getting t-shirts but will often rip holes or they get to faded to look presentable. I shred them into 2 rags and keep a bin of "rags" for messy cleanups around the house. For instnce dh just waxed our vehicle and instead of using my repurposed cloth diapers he used a few rags that I could toss (I cannot put the wax towels in the wash due to coating the machine) or when the dog puked and we need like a billion towels for cleanup.

[mamamoon89]

[QUOTE=Magelet;15266296]I think there are some pharmacies take back old meds to dispose of safely. /QUOTE]
I think that they incinerate them. You could call the waste management people to find out where to drop off old meds because pharmacies don't always take them now.

[Courtney-Ostaff]

Originally Posted by kt~mommy 

other than throw it in the garbage?

--- old cloth (worn out underwear, fabric scraps etc). i really want to shred it for pet pillows... is there such a thing? (man, why isn't there a cloth recycling bin?!)
--- partially used bath products (lotions, deoderants)
--- expired or unused medication (don't want to contaminate water supplies by dumping them in the toilet! don't want to toss in garbage...)

If the old cloth is natural fabric, it can be composted.  Otherwise you have some evenings with scissors ahead of you to shred it for stuffing.

Unused Medications and Personal Care Products -

• Remove unused medications from original containers, mix with used materials such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter and place in non-descript impermeable container such as empty cans or sealable plastic bags and discard in the trash.  Care should be taken that children or pets do not come in contact with these products.  Personal care products such as sunscreen, cosmetics, etc. should also be placed in the trash.  If flushed down the toilet, steroids or synthetic hormones can affect endocrine systems and antibiotics can produce disease resistant bacterial strains since waste water treatment plants do not remove these compounds and they wind up in streams and rivers. 
• Contact your State Department of Environmental Quality/Department of Environmental Protection(DEQ/DEP). Every state has one, and it is a wealth of information on the best way to recycle or dispose of an item, and it also knows all the local regulations and policies that may affect you. You can find the contact information you need by selecting your state from this list. Then click on Programs and Resources to find out more.
• Sometimes you can find the most recent information by contacting your local waste hauler, since these companies often own the facilities where consumer waste is processed. Even if you personally don't have a curbside recycling service, the people that take your regular trash get questions about proper disposal of waste all the time. Look on your bill, your outdoor trash can or your dumpster for a customer service phone number.