ScrapHappy March 2022: Lateral (flow test) thinking

 

Worst. Dominoes. Game. Ever.

A while back, the marvellous Dawn Gill Designs showed a use for old lateral flow test dropper bottles – cable support doodahs. It started me wondering about the possible uses of all the components. This morning, I saw the picture below on Twitter, and found the same use described here: https://www.gardeningetc.com/news/lateral-flow-test-gardening-hack

 

Plant labels

Are there any other things people have used this scrap for? At Chez Snail, we tend to put all the waste in the foil packet the test strip comes in, keeping the plastic waste bags for other things, but the other bits… well, I can only think of using the cases to house something else. Sadly, the tiny Raspberry Pico microcontrollers don’t quite fit, but you could probably squeeze some surface mount LEDs in there. The tubes can neatly house a standard sized LED at the end making a little pointy torch thing perhaps. I also wonder if you could use the tubes for precision addition of liquid glue, or ink, to a surface.

 

A sore thumb emulator. Or a red LED torch thing. You decide.

There are probably quite a few things from medical supplies that might prove more useful out of landfill than in it. The Snail’s Mum had to have blood thinning injections, self-administered, after her hip replacement*. These came with the needles and drug all in one, in a plastic test tube which was thrown away afterwards. Only we kept them, and I use one to store components in and we are p-planning to put sewing kits in some of the others, to sell in the shop.

 

Old needle tube now full of old electronic components

Does anyone else have any suggestions for use for old lateral flow tests or other such medicinal waste?

oOo

* I mean she had her hip replaced, rather than she was replaced in her entirety with something more fashionable. Anyway, the Snail’s Mum is irreplaceable and utterly fashionable.

Many other people contribute to Kate and Gun’s wonderful ScrapHappy every month – check out what they have been up to too!

 

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jill, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol,
Preeti, Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv and Edi