Reduce, reuse, recycle — arguably our three favorite words! But how often are we really reusing? We are told over and over to refuse the straw to reduce our environmental impact and encouraged to recycle almost everywhere you go, for example — but hardly anyone has tips on how to reuse things…until now!
Keep reading to find out the top tricks and tips for reusing some of the most common everyday items.
Plastic bags
By now you have certainly invested in a reusable canvas bag, like Wholesome Culture’s ‘Make Earth Day Everyday – Tote Bag.’ If you have plastic bags leftover from your old shopping days, or somehow inadvertently received some against your will, fret not because they can be used for a number of things!
Firstly, they can be used to pick up your dog’s waste. You can also use plastic bags to wrap your shoes in when you travel to keep your clothes from getting dirty. Plastic bags work as a container for many items you don’t want touching others, like shampoo bars, for instance. You can use your plastic bag to line bathroom trash cans. Dump out the trash and keep the bag to keep your bin clean!
Plastic water bottles
Reuse your plastic water bottles to create your very own tiny, hanging garden! Making planters for many types of plants is surprisingly easy using water bottles, and you can also turn larger old plastic containers (like milk jugs) into DIY gardening tools.
Tin cans work great for this purpose as well!
Toothbrushes
Reuse old toothbrushes as cleaning tools! Whether you are scraping mud off your shoes or cleaning between your bathroom tiles, these slender brushes will come in handy long after you stop using them on your teeth!
Socks
If you’ve lost half of a pair of socks, be sure to use the lone one for a number of things before tossing it out!
An old sock can be used as a container for sunglasses, to protect breakables when you’re traveling or moving, or to hold an ice pack.
Clothes
There is no reason anyone should ever throw out old clothing! Instead, donate your wardrobe to incredible organizations like Dress For Success, the Salvation Army, or the Goodwill!
Tear up stained or worn-out clothes and use them for cleaning, instead of paper towels or single-use wipes.
Now that you’re set to reuse, check out these tips for reducing and recycling:
- 6 cool plastic alternatives you’ve gotta try
- 31 ways to be plastic-free for every day of the month
- Think you know how to recycle? 11 ways you can do even better!
- Make these 11 easy swaps to be more eco-friendly
Inspired to start growing a garden? Then check these posts out:
