Activities to help you reuse, reduce and recycle: no-sew T-shirt tote bag and vegan soap bar

Have you ever wondered what happens to cans and bottles after we put them into recycling bins?

For example, plastic is melted before it is chopped into chunks and turned into pellets. These can be sold to companies that will make new items from the pellets.

One company in Hong Kong, Mil Mill, uses technology to separate the layers of paper, plastic and aluminium in drink cartons so that these parts can be recycled.

When you recycle, clean the items and place them in the correct bins. Check with workers at Green@Community centres to make sure you are recycling correctly.

Still, it takes lots of energy to recycle, and it is better for the environment if we reduce what we buy and reuse things as much as we can. Check out this vegan soap that is great for reusing drink cartons and this tote bag made of an old T-shirt.

Mil Mill founder Harold Yip Man-ki, at the beverage carton recycling mill in Yuen Long. Photo: Jonathan Wong

No-sew T-shirt tote

Materials:

• old T-shirt

• scissors

• marker

• ruler

Instructions:

1. Cut off the sleeves of the T-shirt, starting from the shoulder and ending at the armpit. Repeat this step for the other sleeve. These will be the handles for your tote bag.

2. Use a ruler to draw a horizontal line that is 5cm above the bottom of the shirt. This marks the bottom of the bag.

3. Cut strips along the bottom of the shirt starting from the bottom edge and stopping at the line you drew. The strips should be about 2.5cm wide.

4. Tie the strips on the front and back of the shirt together with double knots. This will make the bottom of the tote bag. Repeat until you have tied all the strips.

5. Turn the shirt inside out, and your tote is ready to be used!

Tie the strips to make the bottom of the tote. Photo: Shutterstock

Vegan lotion bars

Materials:

• 1 cup of coconut oil

• 1 cup of shea butter

• essential oil

• washed milk carton

• microwave

• scissors

Instructions:

1. Melt one cup of coconut oil and one cup of shea butter in a microwave for about 30 seconds at a time.

2. Add 10 to 15 drops of your favourite essential oil.

3. Carefully pour the mixture into a milk carton. Let the soap cool for a few hours. If it is a hot day, put it in the fridge.

4. Once the soap has hardened, remove it from the milk carton with a pair of scissors if needed. Let the soap dry for a few days. This will help the soap last longer and create a harder bar that lathers well.

5. Ask an adult to help you cut the soap into smaller bars. Store them in a dry, cool place until you are ready to use them.

This soap is gentle on the skin! Photo: Shutterstock