It wasn’t all that long ago that when we broke something or it wore out, we wouldn’t dream of throwing it away. The darning patches on our socks had their own darning patches, and our pant knees ended up with more patches than original trousers left. Resources were scarce, and everyone worked as hard as they could to make their items go further.
Now, however, we live in a throwaway society. People are more than happy to call in furniture removal companies and waste removal services like Baleforce.com to get rid of items that are completely fine. A contributing factor is the cost of mass-produced furniture and goods. No one wants to waste time fixing something that’s affordable to buy brand new.
The problem is, we end up with a significant amount of trash (and perfectly okay items) in a landfill. The issue is growing by the day. If you are trying to reduce your global footprint, have a bit of fun, and limit how many bags of trash leave your property on a waste removal truck, then read on. Here are some fun and incredible things you can do with everyday materials.
Plastic Bottles
Img source: boredpanda.com
It can take anywhere between 450 and 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade. Given how many plastic bottles go into dumping sites every day, that’s a long time before we see the end of them. However, if you knew how to put them to good use and give them a second chance at life, you could prevent them from harming the environment.
Believe it or not, plastic bottles have so many uses the second time around – not only for drinking out of either. The first fantastic use for them is in a vertical garden.
You can adhere two-liter bottles to your fence, run a rope through them then fill them with soil and plants.
You can also start a herb garden with two-liter bottles as well – instead of buying costly planters. To make them can be a fun project the entire family will enjoy. Start by removing the labels from the bottles and clean them thoroughly from the inside out. Poke drainage holes in the top third part of the bottle and in the side halfway down.
Once you do that, wrap a sheet of paper around the bottle and draw a cutting line with a marker. Cut along the line, flip over the bottle and put a strip of fabric in the top. Ensure the fabric makes contact with the soil.
As Junkrun reports, If plants don’t take your fancy, then maybe a bit of summer fun with plastic bottles will. Why buy a sprinkler when you can make one? Poke holes in a two-liter bottle and attach it to your garden hose.
Tires
Img source: pinterest.com
Over 290 million tires are discarded every year in the United States. As they are non-biodegradable, it’s an ever-growing problem with no 100 percent efficient recycling schemes to combat it. However, your family can do your part for the environment by keeping the tires that come off your vehicles.
We don’t mean that you should stockpile them in your yard. But why not get creative and turn them into something you can use when they are no longer suitable for your vehicle? There are several fun things you can make out of tires that prevent you from needing to call for furniture removal or waste removal services.
The most common option for tire recycling is tables and chairs. You can paint the tires, create a cushion to fit within them, then add glass to the top of a tire to form a table. The best part is, tire table and chair sets are durable enough to suit your home or backyard.
Like plastic bottles, you can also use tires for plants. Pile them up high for growing potatoes, or lay them out flat for different vegetables and plants.
Pallets
Img source: homebase.co.uk
Pallets are commonly used in packaging and warehouses for storing and distributing goods. Once you remove the goods from them, the manufacturers don’t require them back. So, you’re left with thousands of pallets and nothing to do with them.
Turn them into workable furniture to keep, sell, or donate. You can even request furniture removal services so they can go to a new home. Pallets are useful for outdoor furniture, indoor occasional furniture, and more.
Clothing
Img source: pinterest.com
It can be hard to know what to do with clothing. When you’re having a closet clear-out, they typically end up in two piles: donate and sell. Sometimes, clothes are not good enough to sell, not tidy enough to donate, but too good to throw away. So, what do you do with them then?
If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can turn them into produce bags to reduce the need for plastic ones. Alternatively, you can create rags for in your garage, or create a rag mat. You will find endless uses for fabric.
Vinyl Records
Img source: bitrebels.com
Even though the days of vinyl records are long gone, there are still around 1,000 record stores still open in the United States. Is it possible that they’re making a comeback? If you still have no use for records and they’re piling up in your garage, put them to use.
You could put them on a furniture removal truck so they can go to a new home, or you can create works of art. Use stencils to cut artwork out of them, mold them into bowl shapes, or even cut them down for use as bookends.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about calling for furniture removal experts or a waste removal service, then ask yourself whether it’s necessary. Is there something else you can create out of the items you are throwing away? Can you recycle, repurpose, and reuse?If you want to learn more about recycling and if you are doing enough, you should check out this article from PHS
