Whether or not you’re on a low-waste journey is not that important here – although reusing and repurposing are important parts of the zero waste movement. Repurposing everyday items doesn’t just help the planet, it also helps your wallet. Honestly, why spend money on Weck jars for your aesthetic pantry, when you can just as well reuse marmalade jars for free? And if you’re prolonging the life of a disposable item in the process, even better.
Ways to Repurpose Old Textiles
Possibly the best way to use a t-shirt that no longer does the job is to turn it into a tote or produce bag. But when the fabric is too worn out for that, either turn it into cleaning wipes or make t-shirt yarn for small items like bracelets and bigger ones like baskets or rugs. There’s something so satisfying about stepping on a rug knowing it used to be your Britney Spears tee. Just like any other fabric, you can use old t-shirt scraps to wrap gifts in an eco-friendly way, with the advantage that jersey doesn’t fray and it doesn’t need hemming.
If you have bed linens, table cloths, curtains and even dresses you no longer use, the fabric can easily be used for making your own cloth napkins. Highly absorbent fabrics from bath towels or baby blankets can be turned into reusable towels for the kitchen. Socks that lost their twins can become your secret weapon against dust if you soak them with vinegar and lemon.
For stained pieces that you’re not ready to part with, dyeing can be the solution. Our favorite techniques include shibori, beet dyeing and flower pounding.
Finally, torn stockings can be used to dye Easter eggs but also to make DIY wool dryer balls.
Ways to Repurpose Glass Jars
Glass jars are definitely our territory. We’ve used them to pack gifts, pack lunch, plant an herb garden, pour candles, and organize the fridge. There are tons of advantages to storing food in glass, and the fact that you don’t have to pay for fancy containers is just the cherry on top. We also use them to keep bits and bobs on the vanity and in the bathroom, and whenever trying a body scrub or moisturizer recipe.
The easiest way to get free glass jars to repurpose is to buy food packed in jars. However, you can also reuse candle jars and even those from cosmetics. Speaking of candles, make sure you keep the wax from the bottom of the jars, as you can easily turn it into new candles, wax melts or wax sachets.
If you’re more likely to have empty wine bottles than anything else, a bottle cutter might be a good investment. Use it to create custom candles, hanging planters and even drinking glasses from your so-called trash. If cutting glass is not in the stars for you, use wine bottles as they are to water the plants when you’re away.
Ways to Repurpose Ice Cube Trays
Ice cube trays are pretty clever in themselves, but there are plenty of other ways you can use them besides ice making.
For green cleaning, use ice cube trays as molds for making your own dishwasher tablets, garbage disposal tabs or refrigerator deodorizer. For a nice scent in any space, wax melts are a good solution, and ice cube tray are the perfect size to make them in.
Make sugar scrub cubes. They’re like regular scrubs, just perfectly portioned for a single use. The same principle applies to other beauty uses, including lotion bars or bath bombs.
Ice cube trays are a good tool in preventing food waste, either by freezing leftover broth, herbs, pesto or other sauces. You can also freeze leftover coffee to make your iced coffee stronger or smoothies and juices to add to drinks.
Ways to Repurpose Beauty Items
If you’ve got nail polish bottles from years ago, chances are they’ve expired. Instead of applying it to your nails, use it as you would paint to make pretty Easter eggs or to decorate planters. The marbling technique actually works on almost anything, so feel free to experiment with vases, glass jars or whatever you can think of.
If you have an excess of eyeshadow, you can use it to add some shimmer to your body lotion, body oil or bronzing oil. Since you’re applying these to your skin, don’t use expired eyeshadow for these recipes.
What other everyday items to you repurpose that we should know about?
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