Give It New Life – Reuse It
Most of us are doing our Spring cleaning from our house to our garage. Before you make a trip to the dump, check your discard pile to see if there is anything you can give new life. You just may save yourself some gas money and a trip to the dump.
If you have a tall wastebasket, use it to corral wrapping paper or crafting supplies. You can even use hair scrunchies or elastic pony tail holders to keep the paper rolls in control.
Old furniture can often be put to use in a different room. An example, is a small nightstand or end table. Either can be used in a bathroom to free up counter space and give extra storage for lotions and toiletries. Just paint it to your liking and you have a whole new look. Coffee cups are useful to hold anything from make-up to pens and pencils. Those hanging baskets that were meant for fruits and vegetables work great in little kids rooms for storing those small stuffed animals. It looks adorable. Give one to a teenager and they will find some cool use for it, just to have things close by the bed if nothing else.
Those old sheets and table clothes can be stitched up and used for storing, comforters, pillows, and blankets free from dust. Sheets can also be made into easy tab-top curtains,or throw pillows. All that is needed is a little time, ribbon and embellishments of your choice and you’ve put something old to new use, and saved money too.
Backless bar stools and laundry baskets work well to store anything from toys,camping gear, sporting goods, or garden tools. Just turn the bar stools upside down and they do a great job of holding these bulky items.
Don’t toss those three-ring binders. They are great for organizing recipes, (get page protectors), vet records, CDs (get the vinyl inserts) and anything of importance that you want to keep handy. If they have writing on them, or they don’t match your decor, consider covering them with contact paper.
These are just a few ideas to help you wittle down your trash pile. If you have books you want to get rid of, consider donating them to homeless or women’s shelters, nursing homes or hospitals. Contact local thrift shops in your area for drop-off sites or possible pick-up of your unwanted items. Online sites to consider are charitynavigator.org and earth911.org for information on where to recycle specific items such as electronics.
Written in association with waste management experts