You know that little green arrow triangle: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” I’m doing the recycling; I’m buying fewer packaged products and I always try to fix before I replace; if you read my previous post, you’ll know that I am trying to get better at the reusing part of it.
My challenge this week is mainly directed at myself: reuse. Reuse. Reuse. Reuse. Find a way to get new life and new use out of that stuff that is so often thrown away without a second thought. I like to get myself thinking of creative reuses by pretending I don’t have a store around to run to. You can bet I’d be getting creative with the stuff I already have if I didn’t have the option to go get more. I bet you would get more creative, too.
Plastic knives make great garden markers, and old shower curtains give you an easy way to transport mature plants. Read more on gardening reuse at Frugal Gardening.
Baby wipe containers make great holders for plastic bags you want to reuse. Old baby bottles make good measuring containers or paint holders for little people. Read more about reusing baby items at How Can I Recycle This?.
Those old, worn-out clothes I was talking about? Here are a few ideas I found on the internet: make braided rugs; sew the pieces into durable blankets for outdoor use (think picnic!); make them into bags for carrying groceries, etc. (I really like that idea); use as stuffing for comforters or stuffed animals; or donate to an animal rescue center (they use them for bedding for the little critters). More of those ideas here at Yahoo Answers.
And on the boxes: I found this article on 15 Creative Ways to Reuse Small Boxes. My favorite suggestions: cut top and part of one side off cereal box and use as magazine holder; paint small boxes and make into toy trains, animals, or other toys; let kids have a few sturdy boxes to hold their treasures; cut pretty boxes into bookmarks.
What will you reuse this week?
Image Credit: Andrea Fregnani. Made by recycling items such as screws, keys, remaining portions of broken clock, etc.
Great ideas! I collect the soft boxes to do art projects with my nephews. We built a mask with some cereal boxes and they painted them. I’m sure with a little thinking we can find the way to reuse an item.
There were some very good ideas in that article. I loved the idea of using a cereal box for a book report.
actually the more you take tim and think the more creative you can get ith reusing stuff…recently I have been using old pillow covers as laundary bags and they work just great….