Rethink before you recycle. There is no debating that recycling is beneficial to the environment. But, you can reduce the amount of items you fill recycle bins with by creatively finding new ways to extend their usefulness.
The dairy section of the grocery store is filled with many reusable containers. Small milk bottles and empty coffee creamer containers make great containers for displaying flower stems or rooting cuttings from larger plants.
Cream cheese, yogurt, plastic ice cream, and margarine containers can be reused as storage containers. They are great for storing leftovers or for packing items in lunch boxes.
Shop for items that are packaged in tins. Altoids mints as well as other varieties of mints come packaged in tins. These small tins can be reused to organize a desk drawer. They can store paperclips, pushpins, staples and many other office items.
General Foods International Coffee comes in tins that are great for reuse. You can use these tins in workshops to store nails, screws, small nuts and bolts, and much more. They can also serve as desk and drawer organizers. They are good for making mini sewing kits
Those holiday popcorn tins can be reused for magazine storage. When the tin is full it's time to recycle the magazines. They make good storage containers for craft supplies. They are also useful as a place to store pet toys or a child's toys.
Round cookie tins are a good size for reusing to create a sewing kit.
Do some creative thinking when shopping and when preparing to recycle. Many items not yet mentioned are packaged in tins. Consider the possibility of reusing a container when making a purchase.
Glass jars such as pickle jars have many uses. You can use them to store items such as dry beans, pasta, and rice. They can hold silverware or kitchen utensils if drawer space is limited.
Glass jars that have previously held candles and are not good for storing food items can be used as mini flower vases. The scent in the jar remains even after the candle is gone so the jar can add fragrance to your desk while serving as a pencil holder.
Amber colored vitamin jars make attractive storage containers for Q-tips and cotton balls.
Plastic drink bottles can also be reused. Put some dry beans in the empty bottle. Secure the lid. Stuff the bottle inside a worn out sock. Tie the end of the sock. The empty bottle then becomes a toy for either a dog or cat to fetch or roll around.
Before you toss items into recycle bins look at them and contemplate, “Can I ….reuse it, reinvent it, restore it, reconstruct it, refill it, or refurbish it?” Be resourceful in recreating new uses for items that you would normally discard.
