15 Silly Things That I Reuse as a Frugal Sustainable Person
A lot of times sustainability is as simple as reusing what you already have and finding creative ways to do that.
Even if certain items eventually end up in the landfill, giving them another life before they are thrown out is an eco-conscious choice.
This is a list of things that often end up in the garbage or recycling that I save to reuse.
My List of Things Anyone Can Easily Reuse
Some of these items might seem silly, but repurposing certain things can even save you money!
This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer may receive a commission if you decide to purchase, however, at no additional cost to you!
Magazines
Magazines can be great for upcycling into vision boards or collage art.
If you’re not crafty you could also consider donating them to a local nursing home after you’ve read them.
Glass Jars
Glass jars are such a great thing to save as they’re durable and have SO many different ways to reuse them.
Check out my repurposing post with all the different ways I reuse glass jars
Rubber Bands
Sometimes I’ll get produce or eggs with rubber bands around them. I keep these to use in crafts or organization.
I haven’t purchased rubber bands in years because I just save them.
Pins from Clothing
Whenever an item of clothing has a tag attached with the safety pin, I save it.
These can be reused when mending things.
Plastic Plant Containers
Whenever we buy a new plant that comes in a plastic container, we save it. We reuse these containers for mixing or moving around dirt.
You could also plant seeds or something new in it. This can save money by not having to purchase a new planter.
Cereal Boxes
Cereal boxes are great for upcycled crafts! They can easily be cut, painted, and turned into something new.
I’ve even made upcycled Halloween garlands by cutting out shapres from cereal boxes.
Jewelry Bags
I collect jewelry bags because I think they’re useful when wrapping gifts!
Candle Jars
Candle jars can easily be upcycled! You can easy refill the vessel with Siblings candle refill.
Get more ideas on how to reuse candle jars in this dedicated post to repurposing.
Small Boxes
I always save small boxes that I can easily store. These come in handy when I resell something online and need to shop something. It’s also great to have boxes when you need to mail gifts.
Paper Grocery Bags
I’m queen of forgetting my reusable bags when I go to the grocery store. Don’t worry I’m also queen of reusing them.
We repurpose paper grocery bags to store our recycling, play areas for our cat, and to wrap gifts.
Brown Paper Packaging
Whenever I get a box in the mail I always save any brown paper packaging. Our cat LOVES to play in it.
And I also keep it to reuse for shipping items I resell online or Christmas gifts.
Wine or Alcohol Bottles
While I don’t do this as much any more, I was collecting A TON of wine and alcohol bottles to use for my wedding centerpieces a few years ago. I still have a few that I use as vases.
Check out how my upcycled wine bottle wedding centerpieces turned out or explore my guide with wine bottle repurposing ideas.
Plastic Mesh Produce Bags
The plastic mesh produce bags can be cut and tied to create plastic dish scrubbers. It does create more of an abrassive scrubber, so be careful not to use it on pans with non-toxic coatings.
This is a great way to upcycle an item that is usually quickly thrown out.
Holiday Gift Bags
I always save holiday gift bags and reuse them the following year. This is such an easy thing to do and it saves money when the holiday season comes around.
Old Blankets and Towels
Old blankets and towels are usually repurposed as pet blankets in our house. You can also cut them up and use them as cleaning or dusting rags.
More Content About Reusing & Repurposing Items at Home:
MEET THE AUTHOR
Emily Waddell is the founder of The Honest Consumer and an expert in conscious consumerism. She has been in the ethical and sustainable living space for over ten years. Emily has always been passionate about business for good and has a Bachelor degree in Social Entrepreneurship. When she’s not writing, Emily enjoys supporting small businesses, finding locally grown food at the farmer’s market, & practicing slow living.
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