Uncycled Art

Remember the old motto "Reduce-Reuse-Recycle"?
As fast as technology seems to changing, (and as long as I've been cocooning), I thought for sure we'd have the whole recycle thing figured out by now.






NOT.
  I spent part of this summer studying what's still not recycleable.  Amazing what we still haven't figured out!
Even if it's theoretically recycleable, that doesn't mean -YOU- can recycle it.
Our apartment, for example, will only accept #1 + #2 liquid containers; no plates, trays, boxes or any other kind of #1 or #2 plastic.

The more obsessed I got with recycling and sustainable living, the more it became an ecological toss-up.
How much gas do I use to ferry different items to centers that -do- recycle them?
 How much of the desert's precious water (and power grid electricity) do I use, cleaning and disinfecting containers and cloth for re-use?
And speaking of disinfecting, how do you measure the increased risks of e-coli contamination in cloth diapers versus disposable?  What about unintended consequences; when mothers are forced to go back to cloth and "snap" under the pressure of being surrounded by ammonia and poop?
 Who do I put out of work if I don't buy new?  Who do I give a fat Christmas bonus to, for new repair supplies?
 How much land-fill devaluation do I add to my car, cruising garage sales and used goods stores?
Which toxins am I ok with in my living environment: leached PCB's from plastic  or ptomaine from that speck of protein I didn't see?  Which is worse for the water table: a double round of antibiotic meds or antibiotic soap and cleaning fluids?
How many hours in the day can one person spend time and money, acting like an entire non-profit organization, and still pay the rent?

So I decided to start doing 

Uncycled Art

In this context, the non-recycleables become integral elements for new objects.
Simple, fun, useful.  They might still end up in a landfill someday, but in the meantime, engineering wizards might find ways to recycle them!
It seems a valid way to consume creatively, possibly even sustainably.

Over the next year you'll find projects you can make for gifts and/or for keeps.
One of my favorites is a Senior Class Sustainability Gift to their school.  Another is a chess set, that requires at least 64 bottle caps, and various pieces of nonworking pens, thread spools, etc.  And I especially love the things you can do with plasticized coffee bags!

In the meantime, you might appreciate the following things for your own handy reference:
"7 things you thought you could recycle ...but can't"   great article!
and
where in your city they recycle...whatever! just type in your city or zip code and they'll tell you.

So, ok sports fans; start collecting those bottle caps!  ;^)