Recycling isn’t just about what you put in the bin to be picked up every week. Recycling items in your own home can save money and even make a decorative statement.
Instead of buying planters, use items that would normally go in the recycling bin or even the garbage cans to make planters for vegetables, herbs and flowers. Egg cartons are excellent for starting seedlings. Plastic and cardboard cartons for milk and juice make good planters, especially for vegetables to be transplanted into the garden.
When washed, yogurt cups make great storage bins for anything from beauty supplies to screws or nails. Plastic fruit cups make good candidates for storage, too.
If you usually have plastic bottles around, you can use them instead of wooden rolling pins for baking. Different size bottles can also be cut and used for cookie or biscuit cutters.
Heavy plastic bottles like bleach comes in can be washed thoroughly and used for watering cans. Plastic fast food cups are great for rinsing shampoo off pets.
Empty coffee cans and plastic containers make excellent canisters. They have a good seal and will last through many uses.
Many of these items can be painted. Foil and foil type wrapping paper can give some of these items a new look if used for decorating. Many items make excellent flower vases and catch-alls for kitchen counters or other cluttered spaces.
Cereal boxes and frozen pizza boxes are easily flattened and stored for when you need to lay something down under a project. They work well for kids, crafts and even in the garage.
Always thoroughly clean recycled items before putting them to other uses. Never use items that contained hazardous chemicals for food or plants. After washing, lay them out to dry completely before using. If planting in plastic or metal, be sure to make holes for water to drain. You will need to put them somewhere safe for leaks and stains. Other recyclable items can be put under them to catch runoff water.
