7 Ways to Repurpose Household Items Instead of Throwing Them Away

If you throw everything away when you're done with it then you are creating tons (literally) of trash that doesn't have to be. While many items are created to fit a specific need, you can use items in new ways. It benefits you because it fills your need and it benefits the environment because it keeps the item from becoming part of the hundreds of tons of trash we dump there every year.

7 ways to turn your trash into treasures
Grocery bags. If you have to opt for paper or plastic bags instead of cloth bags, make those bags work for beyond the trip home from the grocery store. There are so many ways to reuse grocery bags including as trash can liners, as book covers, as your lunch bag for work or school, to pick up dog waste, to carry your clothes to and from the gym, and on and on. Some of these choices do land the bag in the landfill eventually, but its life lasted longer than the trip home from the store.

Cups & coffee mugs. When your old cups and coffee mugs have seen better days, turn them into a pen holder for your desk at home or work or use them to organize makeup brushes, cotton balls and Q-tips under your sink.

Plastic tubs. Butter, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and whip cream all come in sturdy plastic tubs. Instead of trashing these plastic containers, clean them out and reuse them to store leftovers. These containers can be reused several times before being thrown away. It not only saves the environment, but it cuts down on your spending on plastic storage containers.

Stretched out hair ties or scrunchies. When your old pony tail holders and scrunchies get too big for your hair, it doesn't mean you have to throw them away. Use these to hold rolled up items such as wrapping paper together or to bind piles of paperwork or documents. They may be stretched too much to use in your hair but there are other items they can still hold in place.

Plastic locking sandwich or storage bags. When you fill a plastic storage or freezer bag with dry items or items that don't cause germs (such as chicken or raw meat) then wash it out with soap and water, dry it and reuse it. Again, it keeps tons of plastic baggies out of the landfill and can help keep money in your wallet.

Aluminum foil. The same concept applies to aluminum foil. The only difference sometimes between used and new aluminum foil is the used stuff has some wrinkles in it. Clean your used foil, dry it and reuse it as much as possible.


Coffee grounds. Whether you love the taste of coffee or not, most people enjoy its fragrant aroma. Rather than throw away your used coffee grounds right away, take advantage of the heady aroma to absorb gross smells in your fridge, the bathroom or in other rooms in the house.


There is no need to throw everything away when you're done using it for its intended purpose. There are plenty of ways to give the item a new purpose and extend its life. It benefits you because it fills your need (and saves you money) and it benefits the environment because it keeps the item from becoming part of the hundreds of tons of trash we dump there every year.