6 At-Home Recycling Tips
6 At-Home Recycling Tips.
Even though it's tiny compared to big companies, there are still ways to reduce the size of your carbon footprint.
It's not just good for the environment, it can help you save some money at the same time too.
Recycling, repurposing, and reusing isn't something that takes a lot of energy or time either so read on for some tips on how you can save some extra money while making the most of what you have at home.
Repurpose old clothes.
Old t-shirts are things we have since the day we are old enough to clothe ourselves.
They appear out of nowhere after a deep clean of your drawers, they materialize out of old relationships in silence, or you just stare at them one day wondering where they had gone for a few years.
They're not all fit to wear. All the branded goodies from corporate retreats or received from giveaways eventually get worn out as pyjamas.
Sometimes a t-shirt snags in a doorway and becomes unwearable. Instead of letting old clothing take up closet space, how about finding a better use for it?
Nothing in life is free but an old t-shirt turned into a dust rag can feel like it.
You can turn a single t-shirt into three dust rags or more or different sizes.
If you don't mind them being a little ragged, this can be done with a knife (pointing away from you at all times) and within a minute but if you want something neater then a pair of fabric scissors will go a long way.
You can turn more things into cleaning rags like old towels or even an old pillowcase. They're reusable, machine washable, and just like old t-shirts, you'll always have a good supply of them - somehow.
The idea here isn't just to not throw things away but to reduce waste throughout the supply chain by not buying things that you can easily make yourself.
By repurposing old clothing you're preventing the use of fuel, water, and other materials needed in the creation, shipping, and selling of the products.
There's also the not-so-obvious tip for the not-so-crafty to turn old clothes you don't wear anymore into new clothes. This can take some experimentation for your first time but you can turn an old t-shirt for a grown adult into a dress for a kid.
You can also turn old jeans that don't fit anymore into jean shorts - just look up a video on YouTube before you get started, many people cut higher up than needed for the final length.
Store rainwater - and use it.
When life gives you free water, don't waste it.
If you have a yard then setting up a simple barrel to collect water on rainy days can help you so much whether you're a burgeoning gardener or an old (green) hand.
Rain collection is one o the most economical ways of watering plants in the long run.
You can watch your water bill deflate as your plants continue to flourish.
You don't even need a full barrel in a vast yard. If all you have are small plants that hang on your small balcony then you can set up a little receptacle on the same balcony to trap some water.
Be sure to empty out the containers and use up the water when you can. Several days' worth of water is enough for bugs to get comfy.
While some insects are essential, you don't need a cockroach infestation to prove how green you are.
Recycle what you can.
The obvious one. The timeless classic. The one people get wrong.
Glass bottles, sandwich bags, old furniture - three things that need vastly different recycling methods.
The state of plastic these days is alarming where plastics are on pace to outnumber the number of fish in the ocean.
Before getting to the point where you need to recycle the plastic, find a way to not use it in the first place. It's the small things that will add up.
Grocery bags don't always have to be plastic bags; a great way to re-purpose old clothes is to turn them into bags. You will need to wash them thoroughly, not with the collected rain, and get crafty with how you cut and sow but it's doable!
Not all plastics are made equal and while it's tempting to just throw some of it in the trash, separating out recyclable materials can make a huge difference.
A little research goes a very long way because different cities might have different guidelines.
What should you not recycle?
One of the most important at-home recycling tips is that if you're going to put things in recycling bins, they need to be rinsed out and free of residue.
Given that paper is biodegradable and, well, paper, don't try and wash out paper-based food wrapping for example.
Spend your time instead on cleaning out things like a jar of peanut butter before putting it in the recycling bin.
Bonus tip: before you start cleaning out the jar, fill it with ice cream and mix it around the jar. You get the patches of peanut butter you couldn't reach before because of the jar's shape and you get to eat a delicious ice cream and peanut butter combination too.
If you have multiple jars then it's time to invite your friends for a movie night to complete the experience.
Pizza boxes are often a point of confusion because of the material they're made of but they do obey the same rule as plastic.
They tend to be covered on the inside with grease and cheese and other organic waste. These can form bacteria and contaminate other recyclables in the bin. The solution then is to flatten the boxes as best you can and stuff them in the trash bin.
Create your own compost.
You can turn food scraps into fertilizer for plants, flowers and trees around the house.
Even if you live in a small space, you can set up a system for composting that uses a few containers, a plastic box can work, to collect organic waste material so that you can boost your plants' growth.
When you're using a container be sure to poke holes in the bottom so that the compost can "breathe."
How to optimize your compost.
A layer of soil on top will help keep the moisture in - and increase the chances of attracting earthworms, which are a good sign for your compost pile.
If you're using a pile method, make sure to turn it over every week or so and add a bed of brown materials (leaves, twigs) to balance out the green materials (fruit and vegetable scraps).
One of the best ways to make sure you're composting properly is to have a mix of "green" materials (fresh) and "brown" materials (dry). Green materials provide nitrogen while browns give carbon, so try to have a good balance when you're collecting scraps.
You don't need loads to make your garden resplendent and booming with life and it will help you fully use up some of the kitchen and gardening waste you create.
It's almost like recycled food - but let's not say that because it sounds terrible.
Donating is underrated.
One of the big issues the world is dealing with is the amount of stuff being thrown into landfills. You've no doubt seen pictures of seagulls over an ocean of garbage or read an article about how a plastic bag takes hundreds of years to degrade even in those conditions.
What you might think is trash, like old furniture missing a leg or a broken set of rollerblades, can be an amazing opportunity for other people. Woodworking amateurs or kids looking for a cheap entry-point into a sport they might love could make use of things you think are useless.
People often think of clothes first when it comes to donating - there are only so many t-shirts you can turn into rags at once - but there are many other things that can work too.
Collect glass bottles, weird-looking but clean jars, or even quirky but unloved containers or boxes - these can be used for craft projects for kids.
Donating is a solution that benefits everyone but it's important to understand that donating is not just offloading things. After you create a list of the things you could donate, get in touch with a local charity to ask what they could use.
Don't limit yourself to charities or non-profits.
Ask your friends and family if they have any need for some of the things you don't need anymore. One great way to recycle a glass bottle is by turning it into a painted piece of art. A pillowcase can make for a great Halloween costume base.
Before you toss something in the trash, think of the uses for it and if you can't figure it out, look beyond the room you're in and think of the people in your life who could make use of it.
Compound your recycling.
If you're using old clothes to create cleaning rags, why not take an old plastic container and turn it into a rag dispenser?
You can cut out part of the bottom, hang it from a hook and you have a recycled way to store your recycled cleaning rags.
Are you keeping all the plastic bags you ended up with? Why not store it in a bigger plastic bag?
If you have a lot of plastic bags, you can use them to store other recyclable materials like newspapers. Newspaper takes up a lot less space when it's compressed and if it's wet, the ink will run - something you don't want to happen when you're trying to recycle it.
When it comes time to take your recycling to the curb, you can just gather it all up in one big bag and go.
There are many ways to recycle and reuse the things you would normally just throw away. By composting, donating, or compound recycling, you can help make a difference for the environment without too much effort.
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