Recycled Crafts: Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Recycle Crafts

Recycled Crafts: Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Wondering how to teach your kids about Zero Waste? Recycled crafts are a great place to start! Creating crafts from materials you already have at home is the perfect way to help teach your children about the importance of resource conservation and upcycling.

Here in San Diego County, we create a lot of waste. Residents create an average of 5.6 pounds of waste per person per day. This adds up to 2,044 pounds of waste per year, weighing more than a giraffe! After we throw our trash away, it never really goes “away,” but rather ends up in our landfills. With the current rate our waste is entering our landfills, they are expected to close a lot sooner than we realize. Regionally, our landfills in San Diego County are estimated to close in 2052. In order to avoid going out into our environment and building a new landfill, it is important to see how we can reduce the amount we are throwing away and slow the rate at which our landfills are filling up.

Get Creative and Reuse!

So, how can we throw less away?

Recycling is a great place to start! By sorting our metal, paper and cartons, glass and plastic containers into our recycling bin, we are helping to put these resources back into our economy and produce new products!

Looking to take it one step further? Reuse! Reusing is one amazing way to reduce what we throw away and help our environment thrive. By reusing an item, you are using something again or in a completely new way, giving the item a whole new life. There are many ways to reuse items, but one clever way to get kids involved is to make toys from “trash!” Creating recycled crafts is a great way to get creative with your children and simultaneously teach them about why it’s important to reduce what we throw away.

Start off by taking a look at the items you have at home: toilet paper or paper towel tubes, soda bottles, newspapers, magazines and plenty more! There are so many crafts you can create with traditionally recycled materials. Crafting with repurposed materials helps children think outside the box, while developing fine motor skills and expressing themselves in unique ways; let your child’s imagination take the lead!

Getting Crafty

Don’t toss your toilet paper tubes! They’re great tools to see the world. Simply follow the below instructions and build your very own binoculars.

With a few supplies from around your home, you’ll have everything you need for an afternoon of creativity and science! Follow along to learn how to make Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars.

How to Create –  Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Step by Step Instructions

Materials:

  • Two (2) toilet paper rolls
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • String, ribbon, yarn, or wire
  • Scrap paper or photos
  • Markers, paint, or crayons
  • Hole punch or pen

Follow these steps:

1. Gather supplies. Create your own drawing, gather photos from magazines and newspapers, or use wrapping paper to create your own designs to decorate the binoculars.

Recycled Crafts

2. Cut your picture, designs or photos to the same length as the toilet paper roll. Place glue on the back of the photo or picture.

Recycled Crafts

3. Roll the paper around each tube. Let it dry. Punch a hole in each side of the toilet paper roll with a pen or hole punch.  You may want to ask for help with this step.

Recycled Crafts

4. Glue the two rolls together. Tie a string on the side of each roll for a neck strap. Once dry, your binoculars are ready to see new things and explore your world.

Recycle Crafts

 

Visit I Love A Clean San Diego’s YouTube channel to view the video on How to Make Your Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars!

Backyard Science

Once you’re finished making your binoculars, let your budding scientist take inspiration from the outdoors and explore their living landscape! Take a walk around your neighborhood, backyard, park, or playground to see what they can find.

Scavenger Hunt Idea – What can you spot with your binoculars?

Observe what’s around you. Have your child make a list of what they spot. Have them record what they see, draw a picture or describe what the item looks like, noting any specific characteristics.

Keep an eye out for any local San Diego County species:

☐ Animal      ☐ Mineral      ☐ Vegetable      ☐ Wood      ☐ Metal

☐ Plastic      ☐ Glass         ☐ Paper            ☐ Insect

Watershed Warriors: Rancho Santa Fe Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Rancho Santa Fe community! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the Carlsbad watershed and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Watch the kick-off video you get in your e-mail, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register now to receive e-mail resources and event details.

Sunset Sweep: Manzanita Canyon Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Canyonlands, and Think Blue San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Manzanita Canyon neighborhood! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the canyons and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Watch the kick-off video you get in your e-mail, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register now to receive e-mail resources and event details.

Tech Talk: Energize Your Waste Webinar

Anaerobic Digester

Tech Talk: Energize Your Waste!  Curbside Organics Recycling and the City of La Mesa

In early 2021, EDCO began the roll out of a state-of-the-art organics recycling plant, known as an Anaerobic Digestion Facility. This facility will turn La Mesa’s organic waste into renewable natural gas and fertilizer – but how? Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the City of La Mesa for a virtual sit down with EDCO General Manager, Carl Scherbaum, as we talk all things Anaerobic Digestion.

Are biodegradable plastics accepted? What are some tips for keeping your food collection bin clean? Find out these answers and more as we dive into the science behind the digester, why it is important, and how it relates to La Mesa. Afterwards, Mr. Scherbaum will be answering attendee questions live. Registration is free and open to all. Please register here for the link to join.

More about the Speaker:
Mr. Scherbaum began his career in the solid waste collection and recycling industry in 1984 with Waste Management. In 2016, Mr. Scherbaum joined EDCO as Division Manager. Throughout his 37 years in the industry, he has gained valuable experience working in a variety of rolls, including Fleet Director, Senior District Manager and Area Fleet Manager. He is based in the Lemon Grove office and he and his family reside in San Diego County.

He directly oversees seven waste collection and recycling municipal contracts served by the eight South San Diego County locations, and is excited to share more with you about this process!

Watershed Warriors: Fallbrook Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Fallbrook community! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the San Luis Rey watershed and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Sign-up to get instructions directly to your e-mail. Watch our kick-off video, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register today!

Watershed Warriors: Spring Valley Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Spring Valley community! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the San Diego Bay watershed and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Sign-up to get instructions directly to your e-mail. Watch our kick-off video, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register today!

A Practical Path to Sustainable Parenting

Making trash is an inevitable part of raising kids, right? It doesn’t have to be! Register today for I Love A Clean San Diego’s upcoming free webinar, A Practical Path to Sustainable Parenting, on Tuesday, March 16th, from 8-9 p.m. From infants to teens, we’ll share how to integrate low-waste habits into daily routines in achievable ways, including toys, snacks, birthday parties, and school supplies, and how to effectively teach your children about environmental issues. Please register to receive the Zoom link. Thank you to the City of San Diego for sponsoring this event.

Keep It Together! Sustainable Landscaping Webinar

Keep It Together! Sustainable Landscaping Webinar

Whether your gardening thumb is as green as grass or is more of a blackish-gray color (but getting greener with time!), sustainable landscaping can be an intimidating undertaking. This month, we are breaking it down. We will be sharing planting best-practices, ways that we can control erosion within our own backyards, and gardening habits that we can avoid or adopt to ensure we are not accidentally contributing to the pollution of our waterways!  Learn more about how engaging with our land intentionally help keeps it “together.”

Join I Love A Clean San Diego in partnership with the County of San Diego as we cover sustainable landscaping practices as they relate to our waterways. This event is free to attend and open to all! Please register to receive the link to join.

Green Business Solutions Webinar

Wondering how to make your workplace more sustainable?

On Wednesday, February 24th, I Love A Clean San Diego is partnering with Wells Fargo to host a free Green Business Solutions Webinar. Join us at 4pm PST for an informational and interactive presentation focusing on zero waste business practices! Whether you work in an office, a restaurant, or in retail, we will have valuable information for all business models.

During this webinar, we will discuss:
•The importance of a zero waste workplace
•How to implement lasting sustainable practices in your business
•How to increase employee engagement
•The environmental and economic benefits of going green

Bring your workplace’s current sustainability challenges to the optional brainstorming session at 4:45 PM and work with professionals across varied industries to identify solutions.

In addition, one lucky attendee will win an I Love A Clean San Diego Lunch and Learn presentation for your employees to kick-start their zero waste habits. Attendance is required for a chance to win.

Join us from 4:00pm-5:30pm on February 24th for this event. Please register to receive the Zoom link. Hope to see you there!

Questions? Email education@cleansd.org with “Green Business Webinar” in the subject line.

Cupid’s Cleanup with Think Blue San Diego

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and Think Blue San Diego for a VIRTUAL litter cleanup across the City of San Diego. Celebrate Valentine’s Day by showing your home some love!

To stay safe and promote social-distancing, we are focusing this community cleanup inward towards our own neighborhoods! Have you noticed any areas near your home that need a pick-me-up? Please celebrate Valentine’s Day with us this year and “walk-your-block” Saturday morning.

Invite your boo, your partner, your good friend – make it a socially-distanced date! Bring a bucket or bag from home, grab some kitchen or gardening gloves, and don’t forget your face-covering. You can make this cleanup truly zero-waste by using your own reusable supplies!

Watch our virtual kick-off intro video, then spend a few hours beautifying your neighborhood! After your cleanup you can log your totals in our Volunteer Impact Map and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service.

Register now to receive resources and event details!