How To Recycle Basic Things You Would Usually Throw Away

The amount we are throwing away in the UK is slowly changing, but the average person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every 7 weeks! With that considered, I have compiled a list of how to recycle basic things you would usually throw away!

1. Glass jars

Rather than throwing away your glass jars, they have so many different uses! Rinse them out and peel off the labels. You can use them for storing cotton buds, holding flowers, making your own candles and storing stationary items. The possibilities are endless as there is so much to use them for.  

2. Tissue boxes

The endless uses for tissue boxes once they have all been used, include storing carrier bags rather than them all falling out of your cupboard or throwing away! They can be used as mini bins around the home, on your desk or in the bathroom or with all your cosmetics, or in your car to stop it becoming its own rubbish bin. Also, they can be used as drawer dividers to hold your smaller items to avoid them getting lost – I use mine for my invisible socks as I am always losing them.  

3. Cardboard tubes

Instead of clogging up your bin with these, there are many uses around the home. Such as securing wrapping paper between special occasions, organising cables and cords, keeping hair tools together and tidy and holding carrier bags.  

4. Brown paper bags

Rather than throwing these bags away, you can make amazing homemade popcorn just as amazing as the cinema.  To keep your mirror’s clean and tidy use the paper bags, they are known to not leave streaks behind. As a great way to minimise clean up after a party, serve snacks and food in the paper bags. Another great use is to wrap presents in the paper bags for a chic look and to avoid buying wrapping paper, which will just get thrown away anyway.  

5. Old CDs

With Netflix and streaming services like Spotify, CDs are becoming obsolete and most of us are stuck with hundreds of CDs we will never use but don’t want to be throwing away. Here are some cute hacks to repurpose your old CDs rather than throwing them away. Broken up CD fragments can be sued to decorate clothing from shoes, jackets and bags to put a new spin on an old outfit. For those of you who are always ruining items with de-icing your car, keep a few in your car for icy days and use them to de-ice your car! Make a stunning mosaic art, this can be used to make coasters, plates or to decorate old furniture you already own.  

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6. Mint Tin

When you buy mints and have the quirky tin left behind, there are so many uses for everyone rather than throwing away the tin. For the guitar player, they are a perfect place for portable guitar picks to avoid them all getting lost. They are also perfect for storing earrings, rings and bobby pins rather than them getting lost in the bottom of your bag. And to remind you to take your daily pills, you can put them in the tin so you know how many you have left to take. Also, mint tins are perfect for staples and paper clips to avoid you having to borrow some from someone in class.  

6. Plastic bottles

Before I became aware of how much I was throwing away, I got through so many plastic bottles, if you are anything like me. Here are a few tricks for reusing the plastic bottles and avoiding throwing so many away. Pour your dry ingredients like pasta and rice in the bottles for easy storage and making pouring easier for you. Make a phone holder by cutting the bottle in half and making a holder for whilst your phone is charging. To make a fun sprinkler for days when you need to cool down, cut the bottle and pierce holes in it to make a fun sprinkler for you and your roommates. Another trick for minimising waste at a party, cut holes in the bottles to make bowls for your snacks.  A use for when your cooking can be for separating the yolk from the egg while baking.  

These were a few of my tricks to recycle basic things and to minimise on waste, do you have any useful hacks to avoid throwing away basic items away? If so, comment below and share your tips to minimise waste!

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