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10 traditional outback reuse and recycle tips

Resources have always been scarce in the outback and pioneers were experts in creative ways to make-do, mend and reinvent. It still a mindset that comes naturally to us here. One of the first rules of outback living is never throw stuff away because you never know when it might come in handy! Here are just some of the ways we reduce waste and reduce our environmental footprint:  

1. Make a mailbox

Why would you buy a mailbox when you’ve got perfectly good oil drums lying around? Outback mailboxes are a study in quirky creativity and there’s no reason why city folks couldn’t follow the trend!

A letterbox made from a reused metal jug

2. Sew a quilt

Any scraps of old clothes or curtains are ideal to sew together into a bed quilt or throw. These days people often buy fabric for quilting but originally it was a great way to reuse material from other worn-out items!
Closeup of sewing machine quilting foot

3. Tyres are always useful

Don’t let your old tyres go to landfill or become unsightly fire risks, use them as flower planters or to grow your leafy vegetables.
Herb garden planted inside a truck tyre

4. Cherish your old timber!

Old fence palings or gate posts make ideal timber for interior features. Doors can be table-tops and boxes or trunks can be coffee tables. It saves trees and gives character to your home.
Recycled timber bedhead

5. Be inventive!

Check out some of the outback inventions at The Welcome Home in Longreach. Who’d have thought you could use an old bicycle like that!
Glass of iced tea with lemon and mint

6. Cold tea has its uses

How often do you throw away the remains of tea in a teapot? Not in the outback! Here’s just one simple recipe to make use of it: Abigail Kinnon’s Iced Tea Recipe
  • brewed tea
  • ice cubes
  • sugar
  • lemon slices
  • mint springs
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
Use cooled tea that is at room temp. (If you try to cool the tea too quickly it will make it go cloudy.)  Put a little sugar to taste into boiling water and stir until dissolved. Let cool a little and then add to cooled tea, ice cubes, lemon slices and mint sprig. Sit on the veranda and enjoy on a hot summer afternoon!

7. Poultry house helper

Keeping chooks has its own lifecycle of reuse. Pioneers collected all the poultry house feathers for pillows or cushions. Today we still use egg cartons for seedling trays. Eggs shells can add calcium to your compost and can be broken up and sprinkled around plants to deter slugs and snails.
Chickens scratching around

8. Create tea-towel tablecloths

When tea-towels are past their best for drying, sew them together to make a tablecloth. Many tea-towels are really attractive or remind you of your travels and they make a unique and personal table-covering.

9. Turn old sheets in rag rugs

It’s not hard to crochet strips of old sheets into a soft and washable rug! Every pioneering woman knew how but you can still find instructions online.
Balls of coloured fabric strips

10. Make fire-bricks from newspapers

Outback winter nights can be cold and every homestead had a fireplace. Soaking old newspapers, pressing them into shape and drying them created good fuel. If you don’t have a fireplace, use them in a wood-burning stove or on your BBQ. Again, you’ll find plenty of instructions online.