Cardboard Tube Reuse for America Recycles Day

On November 15 there are many events that promote recycling and talk about all the resources available in their community.  A lot of organizations, businesses, and individuals even get to take a pledge to recycle more here.  I am always being invited to events like these to provide an educational activity or to present artwork made of recycled materials.  I constantly re-purpose, but for a special occasion and contribution I try to use the things that are very bulky and less likely to be recycled, for example, I pick up from hardware stores those large cardboard tubes that are leftover from carpet / linoleum rolls.  They can also be found at fabric stores.  They tell me they just pile them on a corner then trash them, so at least I get to give them one more use before I recycle them myself.  I have done so many things out of these sturdy cylinders, like the one I mentioned on my previous post, but here are some more examples that can be adapted for a special event:

closet organizers:
they are perfect for holding silky items that are difficult to fold, like scarves.  It keeps everything accessible and wrinkle free.

For a special event, something like this can be used for displaying items, just stack the tubes and hold them with clips.  For a more interactive station, these can be used for games, like ball-throwing targets, or for guessing (just cover the opening with a paper circle).

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Art Supplies 

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All we need is a child's imagination to turn a cardboard tube into a belly of a cat lying down, the body of a knight standing up, a fort, a mini cityscape, tunnel, drums, chairs, or foot stools.

Props and Sculptures  - Repeat Reuse

Here is an example of a repeatedly re-purposed cardboard tube. 

First it was a Greenpeace windmill awareness prop.  Then it was turned into a Catrina for an Art Center for a Dia De Los Muertos event.  Then it was a giant doll for Mother's Day.  Finally it became a bus stop companion (named after those streets) ready to take pictures with, and was featured in roadside america.  

The Good News and The Bad News

The Bad News First:

I used to pick up the standard 12' tubes without problem.  The new cylinders seem to keep getting longer.  It is not as if they can just be cut at the store so transporting them is not that simple; some of these tubes now range from 16' and over.

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The good news is that nowadays these tubes are made of a few thin rolled sheets instead of a thicker compressed paper. Some layers can actually be peeled off and be used for other projects. 

It may not be as sturdy but this new design is good not only because it is less wasteful but it makes it a lot easier to cut.

I remember how a while ago we used them for creating giant "Lincoln Logs" for a children's museum and it was very difficult to cut notches on them.

These notched "logs" were also a repeat reuse.  They became part of an Earth Day parade float that was powered by bicycles.

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I have a new project in mind. I want to create a series of display panels using cardboard from large packaging material and have these tubes clamping the edges, similarly to folders that use rods to hold the paper together.  I hope it works.  I hope these ideas generated more ideas.
I hope you have a great recycling weekend.