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Milk cartons. Ways to recycle milk cartons

Here are a few ways to recycle milk cartons:

Paint holder Pour paint into the bottom half of a cut-off carton; just throw it all away when the job is finished.

Weight Weigh down a tarpaulin by attaching milk cartons half-filled with sand or stones to its edges. Punch holes in opposite sides of the cartons; thread through a piece of string and tie to the holes around the tarpaulin’s edge.

Plant markers Plastic milk containers can be cut into little plant markers and just use a permanent pen to write the name of the plant, inexpensive and easy to read.

Candle mould Coat the inside of a clean carton with cooking oil then anchor a candle taper to the centre of the base with melted wax. Fill the carton with hot wax. When the wax cools, peel off the carton to reveal a square candle.

Toe guard When camping, avoid stubbing your toes in the dark by covering tent pegs with cut-off carton tops.

Bird feeder Combine melted fat or suet and birdseed in a saucepan and then pour it into a clean carton. Insert a loop of string into the top of the mixture. Leave it to cool, and then after it hardens, tear away the carton and hang from a branch.

Seed starter Cut the top off a carton, punch holes in the bottom and fill it with potting mix. Then sow your seeds according to the instructions on the back of the packet.

Scrap collector Keep an empty milk carton next to the kitchen sink to hold food scraps. These can then be thrown onto the compost heap.

Vegetable collar Cut off the top and bottom of several cartons and push them into the ground around your tomato and pepper plants; they will discourage grubs and cutworms from attacking the plants.