Recycle your way through the zombie apocalypse

Now that one of our favourite zombie shows is about to wrap-up for the season, we wanted to celebrate our love of recycling with our favorite Sunday pastime. Repurposing your recyclables is great for the environment, but it also might just save your life in a zombie apocalypse.

A zombie ‘canned in the head’ may buy you some time, but it will be the least of your worries. You’ll need many more crafty ideas to survive this ultimate test in sustainability. Here is a crash course in ways to become an upcycler survivalist by using trash in the apocalypse.

Make a DIY compass

If you’re low on supplies, making your own compass could help you navigate to your next destination. Reusing a pin, magnet & water bottle cap (or leaf if you’re in the woods) can make an effective tool. Find a small puddle or container for water. Slightly rub the magnet on the needle to polarize it and place it on top your plastic lid and voila; you’ve got a compass! If magnets aren’t available after you’ve hightailed it through the woods, clothing made of silk or wool will also work. Just rub a little longer.

Create arrowheads from glass bottles

Weapons are a necessity in this environment, but don’t fret arrowheads can be fashioned using good ol’ glass. Glass is inexpensive, readily available & will last forever. If time isn’t on your side you won’t have time to whittle away this unique survival tool. That being said, an arrowhead can be fashioned in an afternoon by hand; using a technique called flint knapping. This involved gradually flaking glass in a localized area. Billy Berger’s tutorial provides clear instructions along with a detailed overview on possible found hand tools, such as stone and bone. If a nail is handy, use it to safely break off your starting piece; the bottle’s flat base. Simply place the nail in the bottle (point down), cover the lid, and shake for a clean break.

Make fire starters using Crayons

Crayons or any wax can be melted and combined with naturally flammable materials. Since pinecones are easily accessible throughout forested regions of North America, they make an excellent sustainable candidate for survival. Even if a fire isn’t available, crayons could be slowly melted using a larger container placed in the sun. Try a shallow metal pan, as it will thermally heat up from the sun’s rays. Hope it’s the warm season though, or you’ll have to forgo this one.

Convert a can into an oil light

If you’ve got olive oil, a torch light is minutes away! All you’ll need is a tissue and an aluminum can. Fill your can 2/3 full with olive oil. Then twist your tissue into a wick-like shape and soak it with oil. Place it in the can and light it. Now you’ve got light that will last for hours. As a side note don’t overfill your can as oil has the potential to spread like wildfire and could attract zombies.

Clean drinking water using a plastic bottle

Water is essential to everyday life; its cleanliness is already an issue in today’s modern world. Since we humans are made up of 65% water, sustaining our own lives depends greatly on the water we drink. Boiling water is the best option. However, recyclable plastic beverage containers, such as a 2L water bottles can be repurposed into a DIY water filter. With some patience and planning, you can layer sand and activated carbon within the bottle. Activated carbon can be found at your local medical supplier or removed from an on-hand Brita filter. If neither is an option, try using coal from a fire for an emergency water filter (see http://thesurvivalkey.com).

Recycle your food scraps

If you’ve made your way to a secure shelter; food such as carrots, celery, potatoes (above), green onions, lettuce and cabbage can all be re-grown from leftover food scraps (see http://www.realfarmacy.com). The sustainable approach includes placing the root part of the vegetable in a glass or bowl of water and placing it in a sunny location. The vegetable will then grow new shoots which you can cut-off and eat or re-plant to grow larger.

While, upcycling trash in the apocalypse makes great practice for survival, repurposing & reusing your recyclables today is a practical component of greener living by reducing your energy consumption. When hand-recycling your recyclables, please stay safe, proceed with caution and do your research.