Reudce and Reuse Tips for 2022!

For many years in Ireland and across Europe saving money and spending less was one of the main reasons for reuse. Reuse not only saved money it saved, time, energy, space and helped transfer skills to younger members of families and the community.

Reuse really limits the need to source and use new materials and natural resources, such as wood, oil, ore fibres and more!

It is always best to reduce first, then reuse and as a last resort, recycle. Reuse is distinct from recycling as items are diverted from waste for reuse. Reuse can include the product current use or new use.

In the developing world, it’s still the case and leads to very high levels of reuse.  In Ireland as in other developed countries rising wages and greater consumer purchasing power has increased demand for convenience products.

Sometimes needs drive reuse with socks and other cloth items now reshaped and reused as face masks to protect against the spread of COVID. 19. People are reusing cups and mugs over and over again rather than paper cups. Glass jam and preserve jars and old coffee containers make great storage for bulk food items items like rice, pulses and dry beans. They an also be used as desk organizers or art supply containers. There is no limited to reuse!

47 Tips to Help!

1. Use rechargeable batteries, toys, and gadgets to avoid single-use batteries.
2. Redecorating, consider painting the kitchen and furniture for reuse. 
3. Create reusable lunch boxes or storage containers from large plastic ice cream tubs.
4. Replacing an old bike, offer it for reuse to schools, colleges, or charities. 
5. After a picnic or BBQ, wash and save plastic knives, forks, and spoons then store for your next outdoor event.
6. Reuse large plastic milk container to water garden plants rather than a hose: pierce small holes in the top side of the container and fill with water for slow, steady, and simple watering.
7. Harvest seeds from fruit and vegetables and try to grow them!
8. Use paper egg cartons or toilet paper tubes (both are biodegradable) to start growing seeds into plants. They can be dropped right into the soil once strong enough.
9. Turn toilet rolls or paper towel tubes into playthings for children or nesting materials for your small pets.
10. Create egg carton crafts or offer egg cartons for reuse by local egg producers.
11. Store printed pictures and photos in poly pockets to reduce the ageing effects from humidity, damp and light.
12. Use old wine corks to create a floating key ring; your keys won’t sinking while at the pool, beach, or lake.
13. Use a 2-litre plastic bottle to create a bird feeder.
14. Used cold bacon fat in a tuna or cat food tin to feed you, feathered friends, just hang from a tree or post in the garden.
15. Put old newspaper under a tablecloth to offer protection against spills.
16. Clean your window on Monday with Sundays newspapers (instead of paper towel)
17. Place an open jar or bowl of dried, used coffee grounds in your refrigerator or freezer to neutralize odours.
18. Keep a jar of dried, used coffee grounds to use with washing up liquid. It acts as a scouring agent for baked-on food
19. Placed used coffee grounds in a ring around garden plants to keep bugs and slugs away.
20. Refresh your eyes fresh with chilled and dampened tea bags taken from the fridge.
21. Cut old bike tire tubes tube into strips to make rubber bands in custom sizes.
22. Cut or shred paper or thin card into eco-friendly packing material for presents or parcels.
23. As kids outgrow colouring pencils, pens and art supplies try donating them to your local school.
24. Empty bottles, sweet boxes and biscuit tins can be used as small screw holders, toolboxes, sewing kit or cake holders.
25. Collect old soap ends into stocking leg and keep by an outdoor tap, ensuring you have hand wash for outside use.
26. Cut up old t-shirts and use them to clean up messy spills around the house and in the garage.
27. Used an old adult t-shirt as painting overalls for your kids – saves washing clothes.
28. Old tights and t-shirts make great rags for cleaning, dusting, and shining
29. Old tights can be reused as sleeves for storing posters, wallpaper rolls, wrapping paper or anything else that needs to stay rolled up.
30. Cut the legs of old jeans to make super cool shorts for summer.
31. Use banana peels to shine your shoes. Rub the inside of the peel on shoes, then shine with a soft cloth.
32. Turn bread heals into breadcrumbs once dried out. Just blitz.
33. Use the peels of juiced lemons and limes to make zest and twists, which can be dried or frozen for later use.
34. Use juiced citrus fruit halves sprinkled with salt to clean stainless steel and other metal fixtures.
35. Add a piece of orange peel to brown sugar to ensure it stays soft.
36. Don’t throw away half-used copy books, up-cycle into kid’s drawing books.
37. Unravel woollen jumpers and knit something new for you!
38. Reused material from 3 or 4 broken umbrellas to assemble a retro-style rain poncho.
39. Jars can be cleaned and used to store homemade jams, preserves or even as a desk organizer for pens, paper clips or pencils.
40. Save old toothbrushes to scrub hard to reach places, like grout, sinks or behind water taps.
41. Collect broken china to re-tile outdoor tables, flowerpots, or paths.
42. Hang old clothes drawers or washing machine drums on the wall to create shelves or used them as storage boxes.
43. Food tins and plastic fruit containers can be reused for the planting and growing flower and herbs. 
44. Reuse water from washing and/or cooking vegetables to water plants internally and externally.
45. Create artwork at home or ask a friend to help. Canvases can be reused!
46. Separate and store pens, pencils, markers, and paints used for drawing to aid reuse and longer life.  
47. Old or unused shaving or makeup bags can be reused as a sturdy pen, pencil, and marker bags for children (allows kids to keep their drawing stuff all in one place!).

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning, not for profit social enterprise established to create employment and promote environmental awareness through recycling and reuse. We work in partnership with WEEE Ireland and are authorized by your local authority to provide electrical, electronic and pure metal recycling collections across Dublin since 2007. Recycle IT are fully compliant for WEEE Recycling with permit details available here.