Recycling/Reusing

Puro Yonke – pure junk – has become on of our quasi-obsessions. Before starting any project, we raid the local dumps.  If we can put some landfill item to good use, we feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  In fact, most of the materials we use to make wind generators come from the dump.

Reusing items is better than recycling, because you do not require additional energy to process the material into something usable.  There are no added infrastructure costs and concerns.  In fact, if you are reusing junk, you are helping to make that initial energy that went into the production of that material last longer and go farther.  It’s not just about saving money, but more importantly, integrating your lifestyle with what is available for the least amount of cost, be it environmental or financial.

Another great source of junk is freecycle.org, where people post stuff they want to get rid of, and it’s all free.

In our quest to empty the landfills, here are a few ideas:

Washing Machines/Dishwashers/Microwaves

• We use the sheet metal casing of such appliances to make wind generator tails.
• The motors can be converted into permanent magnet generators that can be used in a wind or hydro generator.
• Microwaves and computer hard drives contain magnets – and what isn’t a magnet useful for.
• Nuts, bolts, screws, can always be used somewhere.
• Microwaves can be used to make an arc welder or even a high frequency radio transmitter

Bottles
We use bottles in building, putting them in the wall to let in light.  They are exceptionally beautiful in sunrise and sunset.

Aluminum Cans
One of the coolest uses for aluminum that we have found, is to make hydrogen, which can be used for all sorts of things.  You can even power your car from a simple contraption that oxidizes the aluminum and gives off a lot of hydrogen.

Plastics
High quality plastics we use to melt down into parts and small knobs throughout the house.  You can build a small injection-molding machine quite easily, and it’s a great way to get rid of plastic bottles and wrappers.

Tires
We use old tires as small retaining walls, like around a porch.  We stand them up in a little foundation trench, bolt them together, cover them with lathing, and stucco them with concrete.

Paper
Kindling for the fire.

Every once in a while, someone in the area experiments with papercrete, so we surrender our paper stash to their efforts.

Additional Resources:

• FreeCycle.org - the best online resource for reusing and recycling