maybe “reuse/repurpose” is more accurate than “recycle” here
it should be common sense to:
use it for something useful
consider how long it can be used
avoid painting it for being decorative
avoid use of extra material
avoid cutting it down, especially if you cannot use all parts
oftentimes the best new purpose is close to original purpose, which i suppose most people already do, rather than trying to be creative
@bonifartius I feel lucky for not having witnessed this crime