Zero waste: 5 ideas for recycling cans

Cans help cooks and cooks, even the most seasoned among us. These boxes are made of steel or aluminum and can be recycled in the same way as cardboard boxes, cake paper or paper bags. “Abandoned in nature, it takes between 50 and 200 years for a can to disappear!”recalls the site ecogeste.fr. “Failure to recycle metal packaging leads to a loss of precious raw materials and energy consumption associated with its manufacture.” You can let the sorting centers take care of the process (by throwing your cans into the yellow bin). But did you know that you can also recycle them at home? Whether you need a pot for your houseplants, a drainer or even a candlestick, here are some ideas to get you started with manual activities… for young and old.

Before starting your craft, remember to thoroughly clean your cans after use and air dry them. This will allow any leftover food to be removed and mold will not form in your new object. Once this step is complete, it’s time to practice!

First, remove the label from your cans. You can then leave them raw, giving them a bit of industrial decoration, or you can paint the outside. Solid colors, stencils, color bands… We’ll let you decide what you like best.

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A pencil holder for the office

It’s a classic but worth remembering: you can turn your cans into pencil holders (or toothbrush holders, makeup brushes, etc.). To do this, you don’t have to do anything anymore: you just have to follow the steps explained in the previous paragraph, give free rein to your imagination and creativity to decorate your boxes (or not!) and you are finished!

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A cutlery drainer

This is more or less the same procedure. If it’s just to drain your cutlery, you’ll need to drill holes in the bottom of your boxes and lift the whole thing. To do this, take 3 nice forks or 3 small spoons per box. Mount the cutlery upside down. For a visual tutorial, check out DIYFamily

A pot for plants

This is another classic in can recycling. Don’t have a pot for your houseplants? Do you want to make an original wall planter? You’ll need: cans, a drill to make holes in the bottom of the can (so your plant roots don’t drown), and of course the usual plant supplies: clay or pebbles for drainage, potting soil, a plant and water for watering .

Then simply place the pot on your work surface (ideal for aromatic herbs), attach it to a wall, a wooden shelf or even hang it up. For a video tutorial, see this article: DIY and Upcycling: 3 Easy Hanging Plant Tutorials.

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A lantern in the garden

There’s nothing easier to make beautiful, inexpensive lanterns: all you need to do is drill holes in your tin: have fun creating a pattern or doing it randomly. All you have to do is light a tea light candle.

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a windsock

To know the wind direction, you can make a windsock out of a can and some ribbons. To do this, simply attach some pretty fabrics (you can make them by recycling old colored sheets or an old tablecloth, for example) at the bottom of your tin. To hang it, make 4 holes at the top and thread a string through them. You just have to wait for the wind to pick up to admire your work.

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