It is no secret that the world has a lot of waste. One way to help reduce this is by reusing items around your home or buying products made from recycled materials. Do you ever feel remorse as you’re about to toss something, knowing that a perfectly good thing is going to waste? Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-familiar scenario in the United States. Even though recycling is becoming increasingly popular, Americans still generate roughly five pounds of garbage per person each day. That’s a lot of trash. This post highlights ways to repurpose basic household items to help you reduce the amount of waste you generate.
Egg Cartons
Egg cartons are great for seedlings as they provide proper drainage and prevent soil from spilling out of the container. Cut them in half or into desired shapes and sizes for a DIY version before popping seeds inside. When empty egg cartons dry out, use them to store small items like paper clips, safety pins, rubber bands, and bobby pins. The compartments make it easy to stay organized!
Plastic Shopping Bags
A tip from a professional organizer: if you have plastic shopping bags, use them as trash can liners. Not only does this help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, but it also saves time and money by allowing you to skip buying garbage bags! They’re also handy for preventing flour and sugar from tumbling all over your pantry shelves.
Socks
You can use old socks as cleaning cloths for small messes around the house. It’s more efficient than paper towels because they’re reusable! If you have any old woolen socks that are no longer worn but aren’t ready for disposal, consider turning them into slippers. Cut off the toe areas so that there is enough fabric left over to cover feet comfortably when sewn together at openings after stuffing padding in between layers of material.
Shoe Boxes
Shoe boxes are great for organizing! If you’re hanging up clothes in your closet, use them to separate clean and dirty laundry. This is especially useful if there isn’t enough space to store a separate hamper in the room. They can even be used as makeshift trays when stacked together on top of each other; cut off the flaps at one end, so they no longer stick up once placed flat against surfaces like coffee tables or desks while serving snacks or drinks.
Wine Corks
Corks are typically used for crafting, but did you know that you can also use them to plug up holes in unfinished wood? It’s not just an old wives’ tale. Wine corks work best because they have grooves which means there will be less surface contact between surfaces while preventing liquids from seeping through cracks. Insert the cork into the irritated area and apply a generous amount of Gorilla Glue before attaching them with clamps so that it dries overnight.
Peanut Butter Containers
Turn old peanut butter jars into personalized cups by recycling them as vases for flowers! Remove both labels from glass containers, clean thoroughly, so there is no sticky residue left behind, let dry completely, and fill halfway up with water before adding flower stems one by one. They’re also great storage options for odds and ends like pens and pencils (especially if you have children around who love to draw with markers and crayons).
Coffee Creamer Containers
Rather than throwing away old coffee creamer containers, use them as food storage options. If there’s enough space in your refrigerator or freezer, consider transferring leftover sauces or dressings into these kinds of jars for easy access instead of having them languish on the bottom shelf where they’re hard to reach.
Old T-Shirts
If you have old t-shirts that are no longer being worn but still in good shape, consider cutting them up to make rags instead of throwing them out. They can be used as cleaning clothes, just like socks with any kind of stains on surfaces around the house, so it’s better not to throw away these kinds of items if they’re still in fairly decent condition! To prevent fraying when making cuts, sew both ends of the fabric together before ripping apart by hand or using a pair of scissors for more precision.
Candle Jars
To avoid wasting wax leftover from burning candles, save glass jars and reuse leftover materials when possible. It might seem annoying at first because some types take hours to melt, even when lit up for hours on end, but the amount of wax that’s leftover is often more than what you would get from a single candle. Wait until it has melted before sticking in another wick, then trim off any excess material at the top, so no pieces are poking out when placed upright inside containers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can reuse many household items instead of throwing them away. Reusing items around the house will save money, time, and space. Now more than ever, it is crucial to be conscious of the environment and how you can protect the planet.
