Does anyone know how to recycle abnormal items like chapstick containers, toothpaste tubes, shampoo and conditioner bottles, etc.?

have you checked pinterest ?

I found a way to make your own chapstick and you could put it back in the tubes

tons of stuff for the shampoo bottles

and a friend said she made a green house out of milk jugs .. a small one :)

good luck

Try this http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/ - you join a brigade for whatever you want to recycle and when you are ready to ship, you click on a button to send shipment and they will email you a UPS label.  They recycle everything from personal care items (everything you listed) to drink pouches to dairy tub containers and even Red Solo cups and dried up pens and glue sticks. 

Thank you both so much! Those are great ideas and I will have to check it out! :)

Terracycle?  Wow.  That's cool!

Hugs and love,

Tina

Dear friends,

What ever do I do with dead batteries?  I don't want to just throw them out!  They are bad for the environment!

Peace,

Tina

Some electronic stores take dead batteries to recycle. :-) Hope you can find one near you that takes them!

Check out call2recycle.org. They recycle rechargeable batteries.

Also check out earth911.com. They let you search in your zip code for whatever you want to recycle. I entered "batteries" and my zip code, and it gave me a list of places, including my town's recycling center.

Dear Valerie,

Thank you so much!!  I have some batteries I don't just want to throw away--and this will help.  Thank you so much.

Hugs and love,

Tina

<<chapstick containers, toothpaste tubes, shampoo and conditioner bottles, etc.>>

These can all be recycled if your city recycler does all plastics.  They simply have to be CLEAN and free of product.  We recycle all this stuff.  The only thing we really have trouble recycling are blister packs, although manufacturers are now changing to simply have inserts rather than combo paper/plastic containers. The combo containers aren't recycleable.

Please note - if you are so inclined, you can save chapstick containers and make your own chapstick for fun. I made a chocolate one once that needed 12 chapstick containers from a recipe online.  Not the recipe I used, but this gives one method:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-lip-balm/

Shampoo and conditioner bottles go in our curbside recycle bin.  I have no idea what options your area has available, but many don't recycle as much as we do in Seattle.

Regarding batteries...use rechargable batteries.

You can now recycle all brands of empty blood glucose test strip containers. Use Goo Gone or WD40 to get the labels off.  Just clean out and let dry.  

Since I take multiple pills, I've marked them Monday-Sunday.  You can either take with you or duct tape the lot together. (I use orange so I can find them fast). I also keep one in the car and one in my purse for sharps and strips disposal.

Campers in my family use them to store spices while on the go.  Sis spray painted some and uses them for sewing.  Fine tipped marking pens work perfect on them. Works well for glitter and beads.  In the garage, small quantities of screws or finishing nails store well.  

I don't recommend giving to young children because they can tear off the cap and swallow it.