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It’s easy to ignore the potential of recyclable materials or old and unused goods. In the spirit of sustainability we want to share ideas of how new life can be given to items, such as: scrap paper, cardboard, paperboard, plastic bags, old books, magazines, junk mail, and so much more. Be green and get crafty. 

Tube Puppets     Milk Jug Catch     Repurpose Ring Toss      Tower Tall    Wearable Recyclables    

Ramps & Rollers    Paper Airplane

Tube Puppets  It’s time for a show!

Once the paper towel, toilet paper or gift wrap tube is out, don’t throw it in the recycling just yet, transform it into a puppet and put on a show!

Estimated Time of Project:  15-30 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • empty paper tube (toilet paper, paper towel or gift wrapping)
  • scrap paper (construction paper, junk mail, magazines, etc.)
  • drawing utensil (markers,crayons, colored pencils)
  • Glue or tape
  • Scissors or utility knife 
  • Other materials (ribbon, paper clips, cotton balls, buttons, string & more!)
  • your imagination!!!
Sustainable Crafts Tube Puppets

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Grab a paper tube.
Step 2:  Decorate it into a puppet...or two... or more!

A few ideas for what to do with your puppets: Consider these a challenge. 

Create a Puppet Profile:  Write a letter to a friend or family member that describes your puppet(s). Be sure to include things like your puppet’s name, things they enjoy doing and an adventure your puppet is likely to have.
Create a Puppet Theater:  With supplies from around your house, create a sustainable stage for your puppet to perform. This could be a decorated empty box or even a simple blanket over a pair of chairs. Your theatre does not need to be fancy or complicated.
After creating your theater, write a play and perform for your family with your puppet as the main star!

Need some ideas for creating your puppet?  Consider a favorite animal, insect, storybook character, superhero or imaginary creature as the inspiration for your puppet.

Post and tag your puppet pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

SustainableCraft_MilkJug2
SustainableCraft_MilkJug1

Milk Jug catch game  play ball!

Rinse out those empty milk jugs (or other drink jugs) and transform them into a fun new sport. With a few materials and a little ingenuity, you can be playing catch in no time! 

Estimated Time of Project:  15-30 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • 2 empty Milk jugs (or other drink jugs)
  • scissors (Let the adults, handle this part)
  • items to toss (nerf ball, bouncy ball, ball of yarn, crumpled up paper, etc.)
  • your ’a’ game!!!

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Grab your empty milk jugs (or other handled drink containers).
Step 2:  Have an adult cut off the bottom of the jug or container - leaving the handle intact.
Step 3:  Wad up some paper or find a ’ball’ for catch.
Step 4:  Voila! Now you have a container catcher and something to catch.

Get your catchers and ball and prepare to play: Be ready to have fun!

The way to play:  Find a partner and select which container you will each use. Use the containers to not only catch, but also toss your ’ball’ back and forth to one another.
For an added challenge:  After every 10 successful toss and catches, each partner should take 2 steps backwards. Repeat until the distance is too difficult to catch from. 

Here are a few ways to add a new dimension to your game:

  • Consider using different containers.
  • Create a way to play with more than 2 players.
  • Develop new rules to make the game more difficult.

Post and tag your container catcher pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

RepUrpose Ring Toss  We’ve got a Ringer!

Everyone loves a good target challenge. With a little bit of time and a few recyclable materials, you can have your very own ring toss game.  

Estimated Time of Project:  30-45 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • 1 flat Piece of cardboard or matboard for a base (at least 10" x 12")
  • 1 flat piece of styrofoam or aluminum (smaller than the cardboard base)
  • 2-3 ROUND PLASTIC CONTAINER LIDS (THESE ARE YOUR RINGS)
  • paper towel or toilet paper tube
  • glue or tape
  • markers or crayons
  • scissors

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Set your cardboard piece down - this is the base of your ring toss game.
Step 2:  Use your styrofoam or aluminum piece to make a layer to place on top of the cardboard base as a new and alternative scoring zone.
Step 3:  Once you’ve chosen a location, use glue or tape to help hold that piece in place.
Step 4:  Repeat with your paper tubes. Determine a location and adhere them to the cardboard or the newly added layer.
Step 5:  Grab your writing utensil (marker or crayon) to create point values for tubes and specific landing spots on your board. Feel free to color in new areas!
Step 6:  Use scissors to cut out the centers of your container lids - leave the edges of your rings intact. These are your ring toss rings!

This game may involve tossing, but the fun you will have is no toss up. Learn how: 

The way to play:  Players use the rings to toss onto the cardboard play area. You decide how far away you must be, how many rounds to play and how many points should be scored to win. The winner is the player who finishes with the most points.
Rings that do not land anywhere on the game area are worth 0 points!
For an added challenge:  

  • Increase the distance you throw from.
  • Make a larger base or additional bases with new scoring varieties.
  • Play with your opposite hand. 

Post and tag your ring toss pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

Tower Tall  Watch it Fall!

Challenge—who can build the tallest tower using items from your home recycling bin?  

Estimated Time of Project:  5-15 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • Wide variety of recyclable materials—
    plastic cartons, bottles, containers, paperboard boxes (cereal. pasta & crackers), paper tubes and really whatever is in your bin!
    • We do not recommend using glass or metal cans with sharp edges. 
    • Make sure all materials are clean and dry before using.
  • measuring tape
  • Adhesives optional

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Depending on the age of the children participating, we recommend discussing some "rules for building".
Some rules to consider when agreeing on how to conduct your tower tournament!
Rule 1:  Is tape allowed or does the tower need to stand with no extra support?
Rule 2:  Does each builder need to use a certain a certain number of materials and/or types of materials?

For example: each tower must contain at least 1 plastic, 1 cardboard and 1 paper item, etc.

Rule 3:  Is there a time limit on building or is it an untimed challenge?
Rule 4:  Is there a minimum amount of time the tower must be able to stand on its own?

Once the rules of building are determined, let the building begin! 

Try implementing these approaches:  

  • Write the directions for building your tower and then see if someone can rebuild your tower exactly by following your directions. 
  • Make a sketch of your tower and label all of the pieces you used for building. 
  • What’s the tallest tower you can build using only 5 items from the recycling bin? Predict which 5 items you’ll choose for this challenge, explain why you made those choices, estimate the finished height of your tower, then build and test. How close did you get to your estimated height?

For an added challenge:

  • Attempt building a castle.
  • Attempt building a house..
  • Pick a notable architectural wonder and build it!
  • Build multiple towers that are identical in height and appearance.  

Post and tag your tall tower pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

Wearable Recyclables  sustainable superstar

What “treasures” are hiding in your recycling bin that could be transformed into an item to wear? 

Estimated Time of Project:  30-45 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • treasures found in the recycling bin - avoid glass & metal with sharp edges
  • decorating supplies - ribbon, scrap paper, magazines, pipe cleaners & drawing utensils
  • scissors (Let the adults, handle this part)
  • Glue or tape (a hot glue gun could be ideal, leave this to the adults)
  • your ’superstar’ style!!!

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Collect all recyclable items from the bin that are unusual, unique or just attention grabbing.
Step 2:  Once your items are collected, start thinking about what type of wearable item your selected piece of recycling could become.
Step 3:  Use that item(s) as the base for your ’wearable recyclable’.
Will it be a hat, bracelet, glasses, shoes a tie or something else? You are the designer, so design something you love!
Step 4:  Wear it! Make sure glue is dry and then strike a pose!

Want an extra challenge? Consider this: 
Combine more than one item together to make a fancier and more complex ’wearable recyclable’ or even create multiple pieces and show off your head to toe wearable recyclables! 

Post and tag your wearable recyclable pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

ramps & rollers  race tracks on a budget

What can you find out about making ramps and rolling things down them? 

Estimated Time of Project:  30-45 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • Pieces of cardboard - various sizes (width & length)
  • Containers (yogurt, deli meat, etc.), paper tubes & boxes (Cereal, cracker, pasta boxes)
  • rolling items - balls (ping pong, tennis, aluminum foil, etc.), water bottles, toy cars
  • scissors (Let the adults, handle this part)
  • Optional: Timer, stopwatch, measuring tape or yardstick

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Adults should assist if any cardboard needs cut into various lengths and widths.
Step 2:  Feel free to add a bend or two in some of your cardboard pieces for more dynamic ramps.
Step 3:  Choose which cardboard pieces to use as your ramps.
Step 4:  Put the containers and boxes under your cardboard piece ramps for support.
Step 5:  Select an item to roll down your ramp. Feel free to make changes to your ramp as you go!
Step 6:  Compare your different rollers and ramps by recording your findings.

Take your ramps and rollers to the next level with these challenges: 

  • Can you make an item roll faster down your ramp? 
    • Does it work every time using different items to roll?
    • Estimate and then test the speed—how close was your estimate?
    • What changes did you make to increase speed of an item?
  • Can you make it roll slower? 
    • What changes did you make to slow down the item?
    • Does it work every time using different items to roll?
  • Can you race 2 items down at the same time?
    • What happens if you roll 2 items but change the weight of one item?
    • For example, roll an empty water bottle vs. a filled water bottle—and make sure the lid is on tight!  What do you notice?
  • Can you roll an item to hit a target?  This can also become a game!  Set up several targets that are worth different amounts of points, then see who can score the most points by hitting different targets.  Keep track of how many points you collect so you know who the winner of the game is!

Post and tag your ramps and rollers pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles

paper airplanes  but not so plain

A children’s favorite, but with a little extra imagination, paper airplanes can provide an afternoon of fun! 

Estimated Time of Project:  5-15 minutes
Skill Level:  All Ages (fun for kids and even adults)
Materials Needed: 

  • Pieces of paper - 8.5" x 11" or various sizes (width & length)
  • Coloring utensils (crayons, markers, colored pencils)
  • imagination!
  • Optional: Tape or paper clips

step by step instructions  

Preparation:  Grab your craft gear, sustainability smile and follow these instructions.
Step 1:  Fold your paper exactly in half - hot dog style (long ways) - and smooth the crease.
Step 2:  Open the paper up and fold in the top two corners so that each corner is folded to the center crease - creating a diagonal fold from the side of the paper to the top of the hot dog fold.
Step 3:  With the top corners still folded in, make that same fold again. This will create a skinnier point.
Step 4:  Lay the plane down on a flat surface. At this point, the plane should look symmetrical (same on both sides of the middle fold). Now, keeping your corner folds, fold it back in half using that original hot dog fold. It should now look similar to a triangle.
Step 5:  Take one of the halves and fold it back so that the new crease will line from the point of the triangle to the inside hot dog fold crease. Repeat for the other side.
Step 6:  Lift those folds back up and now you have wings and a plane body for you to hold to throw!

Flight time challenges! challenges: 

  • Create a "Flight Log" to record your challenges!
    • How far will your plane fly?
    • Do three flights and record the distance of each. Use a ruler or tape measure to help you determine distance.
      • Can you calculate the average distance your plane was able to fly?
  • Create a target board and scoresheet.  
    • Use cardboard and (with an adult’s help) cut out holes in different sizes and assign point values to each hole. Small holes = more points, Large holes = fewer points
    • Aim for a target - are you able to hit the targets?
      • Add a paper clip to part of the plane - does it change the way it flies? 
      • Record your findings.
    • Create a game from the scoring and then fly away!
  • Invent your own plane! Use a different type of paper, different folds, sizing and possibly use paper clips or tape in the design.
    • What is the smallest plane you can create?
    • What is the largest plane you can create?
    • How do different materials change the way the planes fly?
  • Want to learn more ways to make paper airplanes?
    Check out this site: Paper Airplane HQ

Post and tag your paper plane creations pics on Facebook or Instagram by using @SGFEnvironmentalServices and #SGFRecycles