Items you throw away every day that you can reuse or recycle

This year I have partnered with IKEA to share fun ideas on how you can live a more sustainable life. All opinions are my own. 

Have you wanted to reduce the amount of waste you create every week, but don’t have a lot of time or space to manage the excess?

As someone who loves a clutter-free home, I’m often tempted to throw away anything that I can to keep my house in order. However, I want to be conscious of the environment and repurpose and recycle whenever possible.

The key for me is to find systems to help you stay organized while being resourceful. Over the years I’ve come up with several ways to recycle and reuse without filling my house with empty toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes.

IKEA is my favorite place for finding inexpensive items to help keep my home organized. They are stylish, easy to assemble, and are great space savers in the home. Their flat packaging makes them easy to transport home and usually I have my purchases assembled and in use by the end of the day.

In this post you’ll find some of my helpful tips when it comes to reducing waste. These are five items you are probably throwing away, that you could be reusing in your home.

Food

Have you ever tried making your own compost bin? You can make a basic one out of a large plastic trash can with a lid. Before the items make it to the compost bin outside, this cute miniature KNODD can works perfect under the sink in the kitchen to hold items for composting.

Line the can with a paper bag (recycled from the grocery store) to make clean up easier and instead of scraping food off the plate into the garbage or disposal you can scrape it right into the can under your sink. Once the can is full dump it into the larger compost bin in the yard. Remember to never compost meat or fats.

Dryer sheets

I love they way dryer sheets make my clothes feel, but it seems very wasteful to use them once and throw away. Dryer sheets have a long life after they’ve made your clothes less static-y so save them to use around the home.

My favorite use is to place the used dryer sheet in a pan that has baked-on food. Fill the pan with water and add a used dryer sheet. Let it soak over night and the next morning the baked on food will come right off.

You can also use dryer sheets to dust blinds, keep drawers smelling fresh, and de-stinkify smelly tennis shoes.

Store used dryer sheets in a cute container like the FRYCKEN basket in the laundry room or kitchen.

Towels

In our house towels go from pristine “guest bathroom condition” to “clean up the dog’s mess condition” in a less than a year. Instead of throwing away our frayed towels I reuse them as cleaning rags around the house.

I cut large towels in half or thirds for smaller rags and store in OBSERVATÖR bins in the laundry room or kitchen for easy access. Instead of grabbing a paper towel to clean (or clean up a mess) I use a rag which can be easily washed and reused. I keep a bin next to the washer for dirty rags and throw them into the laundry every few days.

Glass jars

Instead of throwing away empty glass jars (think spaghetti sauce or pickles) you can repurpose them all around the house. Glass jars are so trendy right now and there are so many ways you can reuse them. Here are some of my favorite ways to reuse glass jars.

• Vase
• Catch all for the laundry room
• Leftovers
• Dry goods
• Drinking glasses
• Craft projects
• Bathroom storage

Store glass jars in a rustic pine KNAGGLIG box on an open shelf or in a cabinet for easy access.

Paper

Paper is easy to recycle with your community program, but it’s also something you can reuse in your home.

Did you know that you can use shredded paper as bedding for your plants? Place a layer of shredded paper in your flower beds and cover with a thin layer of mulch. You’ll save money on mulch and the paper will decompose and fertilize your garden.

I keep paper trash in a separate KNODD bin in my office so it doesn’t get contaminated with other garbage. Once a month I shred it and reuse it.

The next time you are tempted to throw something away, think about how it can be reused instead. Many times reusing a household item is not only the most sustainable option, it’s a money saving option too!