Innovative Ways to Re-use Everyday Items

Innovative Ways to Re-Use Everyday Items

The Importance of Reusing Everyday Items for a Sustainable Lifestyle

Only 44.4% of household waste was recycled in England in 2024, meaning more than half of all waste is still sent to landfills

This shocking stat alone just shows the importance of reusing everyday household items instead of throwing them away.

Now, you may not really have any awareness around how to reuse your household items, which is totally fine & why we have put this blog together! 

It is more important then ever to re-use your old bits and bobs scattered around your house, it could be anything from melting down your children's old crayons to make candles or crafting a neat little cable organiser from empty toilet rolls. By getting creative with old household items & looking at different ways to repurpose them, you are slowly stopping & reducing items being sent to landfill. 

In this blog, you will learn everything that you may need for ideas on reusing items, how it can save you money & more...

Let's not waste any more time and waste (You get it) and hop right into it! 

Clever Ways to Reuse Common Household Objects

Glass Jars as Planters or Candle Holders - Any old jam jars, peanut butter, basically any condiment based jars that hold your refrigerated treats can be perfect for this. Ensure that you give it a proper wash out before using them as candle holders. 

• Cardboard Boxes into Storage Organiser - This doesn't have to be your standard shoe box, think about the amount of Amazon (OR TEMU) orders that you get delivered every single week. Instead of flattening them and putting them in your cardboard bin, use them as storage organisers. If you feel like they are a bit dull to look at, get your creative fingers in action and give them a paint. 

Wine Corks as Coasters - It has been a long time since the days of taking home a coaster that we made in Year 7 Woodwork home to please our parents. However, it hasn't been that long since we had a few wine corks sprinkled around the floor. If you enjoy a nice glass of relaxation wine or a few bottles if it has been a rough week, recycle your old wine corks to create a coaster that your bottles can sit on. 

Toilet Paper Rolls as Cable Organisers - This is the easiest & most simple one to implement by far. All you need is: A lot of cables (We can guarantee that you have them) / Shoe Box or other box with a lid / Empty toilet rolls (Another one that you will have plenty of). 

You can see how it can be done here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnqe9qJs5DQ

Broken Crayons into New Candles - If you have children, or you are just an adult that enjoys colouring in (Ey, there is nothing wrong with that), then you will find a plethora of broken crayons scattered  around the house. Rather then binning them, melt them down into a mold alongside a candlewick to create a candle. 

Old Towels into Cleaning Rags - Any mechanics would bite your hand off for a bag of rags that they could reuse...well your old towels can be just that. Use them for any dusting, cleaning and general bag of ragness that is needed around your house. 

Egg Cartons as Seed Starters - You may dump your empty shells into it as and when you crack them, but,...don't! You can reuse those egg cartons as little, individual seed holders. Fill each section with soil and pop a seed into it. 

Innovative Upcycling Projects to Reduce Waste

Tin Cans into Desk Organisers

If you are like us and enjoy a bit of beans & other tinned delights, as well as having a disgustingly untidy working desk, then this one is just the ticket for you. 

Wash out any old tin cans that you use, give them a dry, stick them together, side by side & hey presto, you have got a handy little desk organiser for your pens, pencils, rulers & any other products you want. 

Old T-Shirts into Reusable Shopping Bags

We know this isn't to going be one of our most hotly rated tips, but if you find that you don't have any reusable shopping bags, dig out one of your old favourite shirts and turn them into shopping bags.

You can do this by: 

• Cut off the sleeves and neckline to create handles.
• Turn the shirt inside out and sew the bottom closed to form the base of the bag.
• Optionally, cut slits or add patterns for decoration.

Who knew the shopping aisles could become your sustainability catwalk.

We have just been throwing countless tips and tricks at you without really providing any great reasoning or benefits as to why you should be doing this., well, slap our wrists for us. 

There are plenty of benefits to up-cycling as and where you can & it isn't just reducing waste that ends up in landfill: 

1. Saves you money in the long run. 
2. Saves you space. 
3. Reduces carbon footprint. 
4. Reduces Pollution. 

How Reusing Everyday Items Can Save You Money

Now we touched on it briefly above, and we know your eyes perked up when you saw save money, come on, you can't kid a kidda! 

Everyone loves the idea of saving a bit of money, especially with the price of everything rising, and we aren't telling porkies, when we say you can save money.

With every single hack that we have given you above, if you carry this out, you will saving yourself money....just think: 

• By using broken crayons for your candles, this saves you cash on new candles.
• Old Towels into cleaning rags, saves you money on purchasing dusting cloths.

Every item listed above will save you money. Up-cycling and reusing everyday items, stops you from purchasing extra unnecessary items. 

The Fashion for Change Initiative

There are plenty of case studies all over the world that shows that repurposing and being more eco-conscious really does work and save people money. One of the key ones that have happened recently in the UK is the Fashion for Change Initiative. 

This initiative encourages users and customers to learn how to up-cycle and repair old fashion items that they may have crammed into the back of the wardrobe. 

It is reported that people can save up to £300 per year by mending or repurposing clothes instead of buying new ones. For example, turning old jeans into shorts.

Conclusion:

As always, and we know we always say as always...however, if you do have any go to hacks or sustainable DIY tricks up your sleeve that you can't spot on our list, please let us know! Any sustainable effort that you can bring to your household can only be a positive for you, your environment, community, world and wallet! ]

That is 5 living positives right there!

If you are wanting to hop onto the eco-friendly drive, don't rush it or build pressure onto yourself to change instantly, work your way up to it through weeks or even months of planning.

Figure out what you can & can't do when it comes to how to repurpose everyday items.