25 Household Items You Can Repurpose

The United States produces more than 30% of the planet’s total waste. That’s 2,555 pounds of trash per person per year. That’s a lot. Completely cutting out waste is a commitment that requires planning, but there are steps you can take now to decrease the waste you produce. A lot of the stuff we throw out could be repurposed and given a new life. We’ve assembled a list of ideas to get you started. With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can find ways to repurpose just about anything.

1. Tic Tac containers can hold bobby pins.
2. Empty candle containers can be used as decorative storage containers.
3. Use single socks or old t-shirts as dust rags.
4. Empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls can be used to keep wrapping paper from unraveling. Simply make one long cut, lengthwise, through the roll and wrap it around the wrapping paper.
5. Old tires can be cleaned and used as quirky planters.
6. Empty and cleaned out tin food cans can be used for storage in a craft room to hold markers and glue sticks.
7. Wine corks can be used for lots of different things. Make your own memo board. Make stylish coasters. The possibilities are endless.
8. Use a sponge as a holder for your bars of soap, so once they get too small, none of it goes to waste.
9. Empty wine bottles work as nice decorative vases for flowers.
10. A plastic water bottle can be used as a birdfeeder.
11. Poke holes in the lid to an empty gallon jug to use to water your plants.
12. Glass jars can make great planters or even charming drinking glasses.
13. Drawers from old dressers can be turned into shelves or cool planters.
14. Pull tabs can be used to hang items on the walls or connect hangers to save space.
15. Old t-shirts can be cut and used as reusable grocery/produce bags.
16. If you don’t use reusable canvas bags at the grocery store, you can save your plastic bags and use them as a trash can in the car or to pick up after you dog on a walk.
17. Add rubber bands to the shoulders of hangers to prevent your clothes from slipping.
18. Old CDs can be cut up and used as mosaic tiles for different craft projects.
19. Old coffee mugs make great planters for succulents and other small plants.
20. Shoe boxes make great storage containers.
21. Used dryer sheets/fabric softener sheets can be placed in shoes, your sock drawers, or with your hanging clothes to keep everything smelling fresh as daisies.
22. Cut up your old or damaged water hose into smaller section to attach to bucket handles, making them more comfortable to carry.
23. Old bath towels work great for drying off your pets after a bath or cleaning their paws if they get into the mud.
24. Use an old mint tin for medicine to keep in your purse or backpack.
25. Newspaper is great for cleaning mirrors because it doesn’t leave streaks or residue.