Can CDs be truly recycled? That is, can the component materials somehow be separated from each other and reused?

Until then, you should get a good pair of mid to heavy shears, and a hole punch or fine drill. Using these, you can make said earrings, wall hangings, lamp shades, or even something as ambitious as a shirt made of scale mail.

I've always imagined in some post apocalyptic world, where the survivors of the fall of civilization scramble to eek out a living, the roofs of crudely built shacks would be shingled with old AOL CDs, DVDs and disks.

I hang them around in my garden to keep birds and other critters away.

Hollywood can take a cue. Use the cds to make reflectors forcinematography. I have used a 6' x 6' reflector for photography.They make excellent reflectors

They should also make good roofing material since they can reflect thethe heat too.

The most common use I have seen in India, is that most of the offices use5 to make a pen/paper holder. One at the bottom and four cds on top to makea holder

Most of the shacks in rural India/Africa are made of Asbestossheets which is carcinogenic. There is a strong demand for Asbestos sheets for homes. Industries making them are raking millionsat the cost of public health. If roofing sheets can be made ofuseless cds it should bebefit the millions of rural poor.

If small sheets measuring 6x 6 ft with waste cds reinforced by a thinfibre sheet on top and the bottom would do wonders. I wish someone takes a keen interest in such products