Teach Your Family to Save the World

Ways To Use Recyclable Items

Before you take your recyclables to the recycling depot, you want to make sure that you pull any to the side that you can use for other things. Cans, glass jars and other recyclables can easily be turned into other things to help you around the house and save you money. Think about using some of those recyclables in the following ways before you send them off.

Use coffee cans

There are a couple great uses for coffee cans. One of the first things you can use them for is to collect the oils and greases when you cook. This will prevent those things from being put down into the sink which can cause clogs. Once the oil or grease has cooled, the plastic lid can be put on it and it can be set aside for next time. When it is full, throw it away.

You can also use your empty coffee cans to store your change in. Simply cut a slit in the top of the plastic lid and drop your change right in. You can also drop bills in it as well. Whether you use small or large coffee cans, they will add up to a good amount of cash once you are able to reach the top.

Use glass jars

There are a lot of ways you can put your empty glass jars to good use. One of the first things you can do is purchase new lids for them and use them for canning. This way, you won't have to invest in a new set of glass jars.

You can use glass jars to store small pieces and parts in your garage. Such things as screws, nails, nuts and bolts can be separated by putting each type and different sizes into different glass jars. If you use jars of the same size, you can even build appropriate shelves for them that look nice and organized.

You can make a neat nightlight for your bathrooms with the glass jars. Put some clean glass marbles in each of the jars, up to the top. Then, get one of those small battery-operated flickering candles and stick the plastic flame part down into the marbles. When you want the light on, move the power switch over and the light will flicker in the marbles, producing a great spectacle of lights on your bathroom walls.

Just as with the coffee cans, you can also use the jars to save money in. Although, when the jars are full, it won't add up to quite as much as when those larger coffee cans are full.

Once you have removed anything you can use out of your pile of recyclable items, then you can send them off to the recycling depot like Uptown Bottle Depot.