The average person generates 4 pounds of trash every day. Think how many people are in the US — that’s a lot of waste.
That’s why it’s important to look at household recycling wherever we can. Many people don’t think of the different ways that household items can be repurposed. However, all of the following can serve other uses, which is way more environmentally friendly than throwing them away!
- Twist Ties
Twist ties come on loaves of bread and other food items to keep them sealed and fresh.
Usually, when the food item is done, we aren’t very sustainable — we just throw them in the trash, because why would we need them anymore?
However, twist ties can be repurposed and have different uses. For example, use them to tie cables together to keep them from getting tangled.
- Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are a huge culprit of waste. Many grocery stores hand them out free, and people often take more than they need.
If you want to be an eco-friendly home, use as few plastic bags as possible and the ones you do get — reuse!
You can take them back to the grocery store and use them again.
If they’re not very strong, you can use them instead of trash bags in smaller trashcans.
- Batteries
Although you can’t reuse batteries once they’re dead, you should still look for ways to recycle them. Ending up in landfills as bad, as they can leak toxicity.
Instead, ask your local home improvement store if they can recycle them for you. Or you can look online for a recycling guide, as a quick search should turn up places near you.
Look for more information on recycling batteries to make sure you’re doing the right thing. It can be tempting to throw them in the trash, but it’s better not to.
- Plastic Water Bottles
If your home is big on getting their daily water allowance, you might find yourself buying an abundance of water bottles.
It’s better to buy a flask and refill it, but if you can’t get enough of that bottled water taste, you should at least repurpose the bottles. Fill them up with more water, or let another family member do so.
You can even use them to water plants.
- Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes should always be recycled. You can either place them in your recycling bin, if your area has them, or you can take them to a place that will recycle them for you.
You can also repurpose them. Keep them for moving boxes, ask if any of your family members need cardboard boxes, or create an awesome play area for your cats.
Since most of us order online all the time, we’re used to having an abundance of cardboard boxes. Don’t just throw them in the trash.
- Electronics
No one’s quite sure what to do with electronics when it’s time for them to die. It doesn’t seem safe to just throw them in the trash, but what else can we do with them?
Recycle!
Although you can’t throw electronics in any old recycling bin, there are many places that will take them. Do a quick search in your area and you should find drop-off points for that laptop, TV, air fryer, or whatever you have that isn’t working anymore.
- Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is 100% recyclable, so you can always find a place to give it to. However, you can also repurpose it!
You can use it in place of painter’s tape, to keep mice away by placing it at mice holes, or putting a collar around the bottom of plants to protect them from bugs.
If you don’t have a use for the foil, make sure you do recycle it rather than just throwing it in the trash.
- Wine Corks
If you go through bottles of wine at your house, you should repurpose the corks.
If you’re crafty, you can use them for a lot of things! Why not make a jewelry holder, or plant labels? You could even make some mini stamps or create some wall art.
If you’re not crafty or don’t have the time to do this, consider saving the wine corks and donating them to someone who can.
- Old Clothes
Don’t throw old clothes in the trash!
If they’re good enough to still be worn by someone, donate them. Otherwise, you can find another use for them. From reusable food wraps to pillow cases, there’s a lot you can do with old clothes.
If there’s nothing you want to do or can think of, then find a place that can. There are plenty of places that will gladly take your old clothes and turn them into something environmentally friendly.
- Junk Mail
Our instinct when we get junk mail is to throw it in the trash — and many of us get a lot of it.
You can always recycle paper, so don’t throw it in the trash. Instead, put it in the recycling bin.
If you’re really creative, you can find ways to repurpose it too. What about cutting it up to make bookmarks?
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Household Recycling
A lot of the time, it’s easy and convenient to throw things in the trash. We lead busy lives and don’t feel as if we have time to go out of our way to be eco-friendly homes.
However, it’s actually very easy to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Household recycling is easier than you might imagine, if you’re willing to do a bit of research.
The next time you’re going to throw something away, check if it can be repurposed or recycled!
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