Yesterday was Earth Day and, as usual, I'm late to the party.

Diabetes care does generate a lot of waste. Olivia's on a pump, so she has tubing, cartridges, insulin vials and test strips that all wind up in the trash. For the last couple of years, I've been trying to figure out how, or even if, I could recycle any part of that waste.

For a year, we saved insulin vials. Last December, I popped out the rubber seals on 50 of them and strung them on some tiny, battery-operated Christmas tree lights. I'm thinking of doing that again this year and giving them out as presents to people - it would definitely be making a statement.

I like to garden. I'm not an avid gardener, but every year, I plant some tomatoes and herbs and sometimes some flowers. It's enjoyable and it gets me out of the house (which is something I have issues with at times). I discovered a few years ago that the tubing from Olivia's pump sets makes for a great tie up for tomato plants. They're durable and stretchy and don't damage the plant in any way. I just clip off the ends, leaving a good length of tubing behind. You could reuse them, too, as long as you don't break them taking them off the plants at the end of the season. I've left it too long this year, but I'm going to start saving them again for when I do peas and beans next year. Tie them end to end and hey, presto. Perfect.

I have yet to figure out what to do with the cartridges and test strips. I don't know that those are reusable. The cartridges we recycle - once we've removed the blue end with the needle in it. Test strips, I have no clue. I've heard of kids using them for projects, but that seems kind of icky to me. They do have blood on them, after all.

Anyone have any crazy/fun uses for your used up diabetes supplies? Or am I the only lunatic out here? Wait. Don't answer that.... >br?