photo by Paul Mayne
Channel your inner MacGyver. Why throw out common household items if they can be reused? Recycling is wonderful. Maybe you recycle what you can and then move on. But if you can reuse your ordinary stuff, that’s even better. Finding a second use for items such as milk jugs is simple. That’s why I’m here. And you thought they were only good for watering plants, and as bird feeders, seed starters and funnels.
HOLIDAY OR PARTY LIGHTS: Save a few or save a lot of jugs and fill them with sand to weigh them down. Using a string of 25 multicolor C9 lights, insert every other bulb on the string into the top opening of each jug. Or use low-wattage strings of lights (smaller bulbs), slit the side of each jug and insert approximately 30 lights per jug. Thread lights through the slit on each jug. It makes festive party lights. You can use a black permanent marker and acrylic paints to draw faces on the milk jugs, too. If you don’t want to use electric lights, insert a votive candle into your jug, which should be partially filled with sand.
YARN HOLDER: Cut off the top of a jug to the point where a skein or ball of yarn can fit through. Place the yarn inside. Pull the end of the yarn through the handle. When you’re working with the yarn, it won’t get tangled. If you have a cat, this holder is kitty-proof.
PLASTIC BAG HOLDER: Haven’t converted to cloth bags yet? Cut a hole or slit the side of a plastic milk jug and store your plastic grocery bags.
DRYER-LINT HOLDER: Place a jug with a hole cut out of the side in the laundry room. Each time you empty your lint trap, place the dryer lint into your plastic jug.
BEACH TOYS: Cut a jug in half. One side is a scoop, and the other side is a bucket or sand mold. It can work for snow, too.
OUTDOOR HAND-WASHING: Poke a small hole in the bottom of a jug. Block the hole with a golf tee. Fill with water and hang the jug in a handy spot. Remove the golf tee to release a stream of water. You can attach soap to the handle of the jug by placing it in a spare nylon and tying on the nylon. It’s great for a quick wash-up if the kids have been playing in the sandbox.
SEPARATOR: Cut out a few circles or squares from jugs, and use them as meat-patty dividers when making burgers to store in the freezer.
BATHROOM USE: Use a plastic jug with a section cut out to hold your toilet brush or plunger.
HOT WATER: In the summer, fill a few and let them heat up outside in the sun. You can use the water to hand-wash dishes.
KITCHEN ORGANIZERS: Cut the tops of jugs until you’re left with a shallow container. It can be used on pantry and refrigerator shelves to organize. You can fill a jug with rice or popcorn for easy dispensing. A spare jug makes a shatterproof change jar, too.
How do you reuse plastic milk jugs?
译文:
巧妙利用空牛奶罐
发现你心中的MacGyver,发掘你的内在创造力吧！为什么要丢掉那些能循环使用的日常用品呢？循环使用物品是件很棒的事。也许你循环使用你能循环使用的东西，但如果你也能循环使用日常用品那就更好了。利用如牛奶罐之类的东西是件很简单的东西。这也是我写这篇文章的原因。也许你认为它们只适合用来给植物浇水，当鸟的进料器，用来育苗或是当漏斗。
节日彩灯：往攒下的罐子里装沙子，使它们能站得更稳。之后拿一串25个的C9彩灯，把灯泡插到每个罐子里。或者把罐子从边上切开，拿一串瓦数低的彩灯（更小的灯泡）放进罐子里，每个罐子大约放30个灯泡。最后把灯穿过每个罐子的切口。这样节日彩灯就做好了。你还可以用黑色记号笔和油漆在罐子表面画上图案。如果不想用电灯，可以用蜡烛代替。
收线器：把罐口切掉，使罐子能刚好容下一个毛线球。将毛线放在罐子里，把线头从罐子柄中穿出。这样，当你在用毛线时它就不会纠缠在一起了。如果你有养猫，这还能防止猫把线弄乱。
塑料袋收纳器：你还没改用布袋吗？在塑料牛奶罐上开个洞或是从侧面切开，把你的塑料袋存在里面。
放甩干机清洁霜：在洗衣房里放个边上有洞的罐子。当你每次清空洗衣机的甩干机时，可以把清除来的棉絮放在塑料罐里。
沙滩玩具：把罐子切掉一半。一头可以当铲子用，另一头可以当桶或沙模用。在玩雪时它也能派上用场。
户外洗手：在罐子底部戳个小孔，然后用一个高尔夫球球座把孔堵上。往罐子里装满水后把它挂在附近，再把高尔夫球球座拿开，让水流出。你还可以用尼龙绳把肥皂绑在在罐子柄上。孩子玩沙子以后，这可以让他们很方便的洗手。
分隔片：从罐子上剪些圆形或方形的塑料片，在把做完的汉堡放进冰箱时，可以把它们当成分隔片。
用在浴室：把塑料罐剪掉一部分后用来装你的马桶刷或皮揣子
加热水：在夏天，把装满水的罐子放在户外，利用太阳给水加热。然后用这些水来洗碗。
厨房：将罐子剪成一个浅浅的容器。它可以用来放在储藏室或冰箱的架子上装东西。你可以轻易的往罐子里放不同的东西，比如米和爆米花。空罐子也还是个防碎的储蓄罐。
那么你是如何循环利用塑料牛奶罐的呢？