Rarely does a print ad captivate me and linger in my mind, but this one did.

Finally I grabbed the scissors and clipped it. I look at that ad every day.

In a simple black and white photo, a small plastic water bottle stands in the grass next to a pretty park bench.

"I want to be a bench. Recycle me," the bottle urges readers.

Created by the Ad Council for Keep America Beautiful, the ad has impact. It says a lot, in very few words.

I am aware recycled plastic bottles and bags are transformed into many surprising products, from boardwalks at the shore to clothing to benches to handbags to stepping stones for the garden, and a lot more.

That's exciting to me, because my husband and I long have recycled everything we possibly can.

In fact, I felt sad recently when I could not recycle Styrofoam blocks that padded a breakable gift from my cousin.

Our municipality does not accept foam products for recycling; all such cups, containers and packaging materials are to be thrown in the trash. That bothers me.

I do, however, recycle foam peanuts. The post office uses them to pack boxes that will be shipped.

Usually on collection night, our trash bag at the curb is very small, and our various recycling containers are full.

That's because recycling has become a habit in our home. I don't give a second thought to rinsing off aluminum foil or washing out milk cartons and peanut butter jars to prepare them for the recycling bins.

In addition to cardboard and aluminum items, we save and recycle all paper and plastic bags, glass and plastic containers, books, magazines, junk mail, telephone directories, newspapers, catalogs, clothes, steel and yard waste.

We also have an urban composter that devours all vegetable, herb and fruit scraps, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds, as well as fallen leaves.

We are always looking for something else that can be recycled. Water from our dehumidifiers has been used in the washing machine and outdoors in the sprinkling can.

My grocery lists are written on junk mail inserts and envelopes.

Any unusual, attractive bottles or containers get new life as flower vases. Paper clips, safety pins, screws and other small objects are stored in film canisters. Remember those?

Even the rubber bands on stalks of celery and bunches of kale find a second job at our house.

And don't overlook the many wonderful uses for the legs of old tattered stockings. For us, they have become stretchy ties to secure tall plants in the garden or strainers for lumpy paint.

It's exciting to learn of new uses for the items we recycle. Aluminum cans become new aluminum cans, for example. Some become signs or license plates.

Junk mail becomes toilet paper, paper towels, greeting cards, copier paper and stationery. I much prefer paper from paper, rather than paper from trees. Why chop down a beautiful tree to make toilet paper when it can be made from junk mail?

I have read that recycled cardboard can be made into furniture and, of course, into more cardboard boxes. Molded pulp containers, such as egg cartons, also have a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content. That's a better choice than foam egg cartons.

When shopping, I read labels and buy products made from recycled materials. Items made from recyclables usually say so prominently.

While recycling saves natural resources, energy, money and the environment, how much better to prevent having all that waste in the first place.

Instead of requesting plastic or paper bags at the grocery store or farm stand, why not take along cloth bags. They're stronger and easier to carry and can be used over and over.

We keep a stash of canvas bags in both cars, and I carry two tiny, expandable cloth bags in my purse at all times.

Get creative with your own recycling ideas and minimize the environmental impact of the products you consume.

Help the little plastic bottle in my favorite ad to fulfill its wish to become a bench. It deserves more than an eternity in a landfill.