How Do I Recycle? 4 Items in Your Home You Can Start with Right Now
It’s hard to imagine anyone has not heard the word “recycling.” But for many, it’s become one of those trendy terms thrown here and there to show how with-the-times they are. Like carbon footprint reduction. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of recycling, many of us are… what’s the word again? CLUELESS.
While there are tons of articles about the importance of recycling, many of us do not know where to actually start, even when we intend to be a part of the recycling process. Lost without a clue, we move on hoping to someday know how and what to recycle. What if I told you that there are several recyclable items right there in your home, right now? What if I also told you that you could join the army of persons who recycle items without necessarily being a part of a recycling firm? Yes, you can.
1. Plastic Jar/Bottle
So you’ve finished all the candies in the plastic jar, but have no more use for it. What do you do on a norm? You toss the jar in the bin. Fortunately, this is about to change. You’re luckier if the jar is transparent. Rather than waste it, you can cut the top off, and turn the base into a flowerpot or vase. All you have to do is fill the bottom of the jar with some good sand, plant some flower seeds in it, water it daily, and watch your flowers bloom. If you plan to cultivate a big garden, good for you- one week later, you can transfer your already growing plant into a bed in your garden. Repeat this process as much as necessary.
In the case of a plastic bottle, you can repurpose your used plastic bottles into a bottle piggy bank. Paint the entire bottle to prevent you from seeing how much you’ve gathered over time. But if you want to be able to monitor your savings, you can leave it transparent. Your plastic bottle can also become a trash can. I doubt recycling has ever felt nicer than turning used plastic bottles into trash cans. You can call this second-degree recycling, and you wouldn’t be wrong, especially when lots of plastic bottles are sewn together to make a big trash can.
2. Newspapers, Mixed Papers, and Glossy Magazines
More often than not, when we are done reading the dailies and our favorite magazines, we toss them away. But they could be of much more use and can save us a lot of money. Shocked? Don’t be. In our kitchens, we usually purchase foils and glossy papers for the purpose of lining the slabs, countertops, drawers, etc. Rather than purchase the usual, you can make use of the shiny pages of your old magazines and newspapers. They’ll get the job done, and at no extra cost. Isn’t this super cool?
Thinking of the perfect gift wraps? Newspapers, mixed papers, and glossy magazines are perfect for the job. You can look out for pages with comics, or extremely beautiful pages to make wraps that everyone would love. If you think you have no use for your old newspapers, mixed papers, and glossy magazines, no problem. Just make sure they end up at the recycle center, rather than in your bin. It’ll be put to good use there; I can assure you.
3. Empty Ice Cream Containers
Regardless of the type of ice cream container you got, the empty container can be rinsed out and used to store stuff. If you happen to have a large ice cream container, you can convert it into a sewing kit, housing all of your sewing essentials. It can also be turned into a storage box for stationery. If it’s a medium-sized container, you can use it to collect coffee grounds and food scraps before adding them to your compost heap. If all you got was a small container, don’t feel bad. You can store your coins, buttons, earrings, and other small items in it to prevent them from getting lost.
4. Unused Mobile Phones
We all have that mobile phone lying useless in our drawers. Rather than throw such phones away, why not hand them over to someone in need? They’d thank you, and you’d be happy to help. You can also sell it off on platforms where you can easily be accessed. Alternatively, you can check with your mobile phone manufacturer to see if there is a program where they can retrieve your old phones when you purchase a new one or one that allows you to swap your old one for a new one at a fee.
Little drops of water make a mighty ocean, eh? We have all got to start somewhere when it comes to recycling. At the end of the day, it’s not just another fancy word. It’s the difference between just how livable or how totally damaged a world we get to leave for future generations.