What do I do with broken dishes?

Question from Jodi: In all your "green" research, have you ever come across anything that talks about what to do with dishes that need to be thrown out? I have some that are cracked and breaking, and I want to replace them. It seems weird to throw a bunch of plates and bowls in the trash. But they aren't considered glass, are they? What do you suggest?

My answer: Unless you Freecycle them to someone who can use them for mosaic art projects, I think you just have to throw them away. If they are just chipped, give them to Goodwill or Freecycle them. If the are actually breaking and unusable, sign up for Freecycle or Craig's List and list them just to see if anyone has a use for them (you'd be surprised what gets taken!!). If not, then you just have to toss them, so far as I know right now.

Do you guys have any other ideas for dishes past their prime?

Interesting links:

• How Can I Recycle This? has suggestions for reusing broken crockery, including putting the pieces at the bottom of plant pots for drainage.
• For those of you who want to make your own mosaic project out of a favorite plate that has shattered, here are directions.