Written by: Giulia Simolo
If you think about how much waste your family accumulates on a weekly or monthly basis, it might shock you to see that you’re throwing away so much stuff that ends up in landfills. Some of those items that you’re so quick to toss into the bin might not even have reached their expiration dates! Those things you call rubbish might actually still have some riches to offer you. Here is how to save the gems!
Give your trash an extreme makeover
The next time you have a clean-up and you end up with bags of rubbish, go through the contents with an objective, creative eye. Many items can be re-used in new ways. Those bottles of mineral water that end up accumulating a lot of space in the trash don’t have to be thrown away. Use them for watering your household plants. Even cardboard boxes, such as those of teabags and cereals, can be used in practical ways. Cut the cardboard into smaller pieces and use them to write your shopping lists. You could also wrap larger boxes (such as the packaging of appliances) in wrapping paper and use them as storage. By re-using items as much as you can, you save money from having to rush out and buy new ones.
DIY your rubbish
Repairing items so that they can still provide you with use is a great way to live green. If you’re throwing out a top that’s got a hole in it, why not put your sewing skills to use so that you can still gain wear from it? If your furniture is a bit knocked or looking old, try to find ways of using material to cover it up or see if a bit of paintwork could patch it up. By becoming an up-cycling queen, you can turn old furniture pieces into gorgeous focal points in your home. It could also help to see if by dismantling some items you could still gain use from some parts. For instance, maybe your CD player doesn’t work anymore but its radio function is still intact and could be used. A broken shelf might not be very helpful as storage, but perhaps you could nail the individual shelves to the wall (for a ‘floating shelves’ effect) so that you save on space and still get to store items on them.
Ditch the disposables
Sadly, some items are not very reusable. If you want to limit your waste in future, when shopping try to avoid buying disposable items because they will only be used a few times and then throw into the bin. Some examples include razors and batteries. Try to buy razors that aren’t disposable so you can keep reusing them and choose batteries that will last longer in your appliances (remember to make them eco-friendly, too!). Avoid buying things like paper towel rolls that can result in a large amount of paper getting thrown away daily. Opt instead for microfiber cloths that are great for cleaning and can be washed and re-used many times.
Give it away
If there are some items that you don’t wish to have in your home because you really can’t get any more use from them, there is still a way that you can avoid throwing them in the trash. Think about donating them to a hospice or charity so that you manage to extend the life of the items which will be reused many times over. The bonus? You spread a bit of love around you because your waste will become someone else’s prized possession.
The liveeco team
