Recycling Ideas ?

[2steps]

Indoor farming could work. when we were kids my dad built an indoor pond, with a little landscaped area around it - looked ace. He took the mud from the back garden and some strange shoots he hadn't planted started to grow. There turned out to be conkers we'd left in the garden I have a banana plant on my window sill....

I have just made use of around 60 unwanted pallets building new fencing for my garden. they came from a factory in town and would of been burnt or just left sitting there.

[john]

HI Millimollymandy.For a start you would be living in a tree top house,surrounded by containers which contain crops and their own water recycling system.
Which you could have tried out when you were living in a drought situation if you had visited my web site before returning home.
I can't see any reason why my transportable system can't be used up in the trees in some way,as I grow nothing in the ground my self now using my system,which works very well even though I have very little gardening knowledge my self. John JRP.

[john]

Hi Muddypause,I know you are taking the pppppp but yes you can use my idea for in door farming,as my system is completely transportable and self standing,so if they have a flat roof over their heads they can grow things inside or up on the roof,which they could eat or sell.

Under water farming,whilst under water farming is already being done.My system was designed to be used on water,so they could grow things at sea or on rivers,with all the problems that they would have,as if they were living in a boathouse at sea or on a river. Whilst you may think I'm fun and daft as a brush,as a inventor and designer I think you would find me a good person to have around Stew if a problem needed to be solved. John JRP.

[john]

Hi 2 steps, It's nice to know that there are other people out there who agree with me,and they are doing their bit too,nice one. JOHN JRP.

[wulf]

I think there could be some potential for treetop farming if you lived in a densely wooded area with suitable trees. Watering might well be a problem, although I suspect some areas of Canada get a fairly good dose of rain. Another issue to consider would be wind. As mentioned, the trees themselves would provide some protection but, having done plenty of tree climbing, it can still get quite breezy. You'd have to work round the drying effect, the buffeting of the plants and the movement of the whole platform.

I wonder if searching around for a suitable clearing might not be a better solution, neat as the idea of living in the trees sounds.

Wulf

[ina]

I think there could be some potential for treetop farming if you lived in a densely wooded area with suitable trees. Watering might well be a problem, although I suspect some areas of Canada get a fairly good dose of rain. Another issue to consider would be wind. As mentioned, the trees themselves would provide some protection but, having done plenty of tree climbing, it can still get quite breezy. You'd have to work round the drying effect, the buffeting of the plants and the movement of the whole platform.

I wonder if searching around for a suitable clearing might not be a better solution, neat as the idea of living in the trees sounds.

Wulf

May I mention one issue that seems to be forgotten about in this idea? You wouldn't get me up on a tree to do any gardening - and that's got nothing to do with lazyness. I'm not as fit as I was 20 years ago; once you start suffering from aches and pains, you are glad if you can get the gardening done on the ground. Plus, it would need considerable expense in making the platforms up there safe to work on, otherwise I'd just get giddy and sick - even if I made it up that high in the first place!

Unless, of course, we all revert back in time and become more ape-like again, and stay up there for all our lives... That would save time and effort climbing up and down. But then, somebody would have to produce all that rubbish that we want to recycle in the trees, so SOMEBODY would have to stay securely with both feet on the ground... Problems, problems.

Anyway, my preferred way of dealing with rubbish is avoiding it. Not all palletts go into landfill. One of our suppliers (of bulk feed) charges for the palletts and takes them back. Other palletts get used in repairs etc. My brother used to heat his house with palletts. There are various ways of dealing with this.
And I try to avoid buying plastic bottles, too - even if nowadays most of them can get recycled. Fizzy drinks out of plastic are an exception, not the rule, in my household. Milk is more of a problem - but one of these days I'll have milk "from the udder" again, too.

No tree-climbing for me!

Ina

[greenbean]

I'm with muddy pause on this one. Please....

[john]

I've just been in contact with one of my old class mates who is now chairman at my old school in Eltham. I've asked him to ask the children if they would be interested in my re-using of waste ideas,to have as a school project,to help reduce some of our waste going into lanfill sites in the UK,as we were both not very good at the 3Rs ourselves when we were at school. John. JRP.

[john]

May I put forward another new idea of mine,and that is to re-use old rags or shreaded fabric materials to cover the ground surface.
Whilst I've been talking to a lot of people about the re-use of my waste transportable water recycling system. I'm about to start my own trials on covering my seeds in my containers with old clean rags to see if I can save even more water than I already do now to grow my crops in the UK.
I'm sure it will work like all my other ideas do,because it will act like bark chippings,compost,or black screen material to stop the weeds,and to protect the roots,even though where it does come in contact with the damp surface it will absorb some water,but water finds it's own level,so if the lower part is dryer in my containers it will draw down what water is in the fabric material. So when it rains water full into the materials which will absorb it until it can't hold no more,for then to drip into my lower compost section to help feed my crop,it will also help if my top area of my compost is dry from being blown about in strong winds,even though I always leave about a inch so I can put another upside down clear bottomless bottle inside it.
To make my fabric material look more like some sort of compost,or manure,I'm going to soak it in brown muddy water first.
If my material covering idea works OK, I can see allotment plots all over the world looking like as if some one has just dug over the surface with or without any crops already growing in it all the year round.
If the fabric materials were dug into the soil,I can see it being much more easyer for those who have heavy soil to dig over,which I don't have a problem with as I grow nothing in the ground it's self. Of course if there is a problem with re-using old rag materials I'm sure some one will tell me befor I start my trials next year,or next week,it will all depends on what type of old clothes I've got to throw away. May I wish you all have a Merry Christmas and I hope a Happy New Year too. John JRP.

[john]

Hi,to any one who's interested. I've just put 2 photos on my website to show you what I have made,which I believe have never been made before,so please be one of the first people to take a look at something different on my website,www.recycling.moonfruit.com under THINGS TO MAKE. As seeing is believing,when it comes to something new. John. JRP.

[Boots]

Hello John,
I found my trip around your site held quite a bit of joy...

But - it took a long time for me to move around it. Could you provide direct links for any new developments in the future? As I would like to see your new stuff, but simply don't have the time to make the whole trip around the site again, looking for the new bit.

I don't quite get your rag idea. I compost clothing that is too stained to recycle into other things or pass on to others, and do think it has some water retention qualities. Depending on the fabric, some break down quicker than others, and yes clothing does make effective weed mats which I then raise a bed above. I only use very soiled clothing though - things that have totally had it. It has never mattered much to me what colour it is.

To reuse something...recycle it... means to use it again. I am thinking your idea will render it unusable, past this purpose. Which would then mean it needs replacing. I think maybe there might be other ways in which it can actually be used many times prior to reaching its return to the earth. What do you think John? Could this idea maybe be encouraging more waste and less re-use of products?

[john]

Hi Boots,thank you for taking the time to look at my website.
I have no more website space left so I wil be only changeing things on it when I have to take something off to do so.
My rag idea,I've put around my Broad Beans which are shooting up in my 2 litre bottomless plastic bottles,which must be helping them in this cold weather. I've cut up my old worn out clean socks and pants to start my trials on whether it works to help my crops to grow,yes my pallet section looks like a mass of different colours with a green bit in the middle at the moment,using my system I re-use every thing again, until like my plastic milk container they get so brittle they break up into small bits, which I suppose I could put in the bottom of my containers for drainage,but I don't,I just put them in the bin along with any other plastic to be recycled.
As for less re-use of products,my way involves no money,that's why I believe I'm still the only one using my way of doing things. I must go to sleep now OK. John. JRP.

[john]

Recycling your way to success with the ladies,as reported in our local news paper today 15-2-2006.
For years the answer to one impossible question has eluded most men - what makes women happy?
According to a new survey the answer is not flowers,gifts,or candlelit dinners but something far simpler and cheaper - RECYCLING.
Research by Lewisham Council shows of 2,000 women asked,65 per cent said they would find their MEN SEXIER if they recycled.
Only a quarter of men in the borough currently recycle reqularly.
The council is now URGING MEN TO BOOST THEIR CHANCES with the ladies by recycling their VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS and CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES.
What a load of RUBBISH my wife said,mind you I'm a RE-USER so I think this does not apply to me,or does it,I will have to try buying some flowers first,and maybe a gift,I don't know about a candlelit dinner,no I think I will tell my wife I'm recycling now instead of re-using,it will work out much cheaper. I can't wait for the upturn in my sex life. John JRP

[john]

Hi every one,OXFAM have asked me to tell you they need help to help millions of people in East Africa.

THIS MONTH,as the crisis in East Africa worsens,Oxfam is responding in Ethiopia,Kenya and Somalia by targetting food distributions,water and livelihoods support to over 500,000 people.
Currently,they are trucking in 20,000 litres each week to people in Wajir,kenya,who previously face a 60-kilometre trek to find water,or were forced to drink dirty supplies.

To find out more please visit OXFAM-I'M IN-the people' poll at www.oxfam.org.uk,I've offered my help,if we all try to do our bit, I'm sure it will make a big difference to those people who need our help now. John. JRP.

[Shirley]

I'm in !!