The Great 'Are you a re-user - what items do you reuse for max value?' Hunt

ljonski

r put a suet ball in and hang in the garden for the birdies (like we did this morning). The nylon is very strong so it's perfect.

this is not a good idea as bird's feet tend to get trapped according to naturalists. Best to use metal containers.

eniemeanie

Rubber Gloves
I always use them in the garden for pricking out seedlings or potting on, etc. I am left with perfect left hand gloves when the right hand ones puncture. Save them and turn them inside out to make pairs again. Alternatively, cut 'good' fingers off old gloves and put them on under rubber gloves to protect fingers and make it possible to reuse right hand gloves.

Table Napkins
A nice cotton check wrap-around skirt, holed where the buttons had been, made four very smart table napkins.

Yogurt Pots
I have some excellent quality On*ken ones with substantial lids that I have been using for 20 years or more in the freezer for soups, leftovers or whatever.

Rubber Bands
Great for wrapping around open food packs from Muesli, cereals, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Keeps them airtight.

Newspaper and cardboard
Scrunched up and added to my compost bins.

SharkyGeorge

If I ever get anything wrapped with tissue paper (e.g. new shoes, gifts etc) I flatten it out and keep it to wrap presents.

NatFeerick

I'm a keen recycler and have now started an online business called DressXS where people can have me sell their plus-size occasion-wear on. This gives the clothes a second life and makes money-saving sense for the seller who gets back some of the money they originally shelled out, and the buyer who gets a glamourous outfit at a fraction of the original price!

I think the sustainable way forward is for more businesses to look at encouraging reuse, recycle & repair.

LameWolf

unixgirluk wrote: »

Or the little tubs that 35 mm camera film came in? They got used in our house for pins, cake decorations and the rare clear ones (rather than the black ones) got used on holiday to hold face cream etc.

Ooh yes, we get these sometimes, as DH still uses a camera that takes film.

We're both on a fair bit of medication, and I find these good for taking just the right amount with us when we go on holiday. Naturally I label them carefully; but when you consider that (for instance) my calcium tablets come in a thundering great big bottle, and I only need 14 of them for a weeks' holiday......

DH also uses them to store things like panel pins and tiny screws in his tool box.

I have some of the 0nken pots that eniemeanie mentions, too - I assume they're the big ones with a handle? I have a load of those that are about 10 years old, and they get used for blackberrying - they're ideal to sit in the basket of my mobility scooter.

pigpen

The bin ... Definitely the best most reused thing we own!! I need to use it more though because it is starting to look hoarderish in here again!

blackberry-rum

I save the small coloured jars that face cream comes in and pop tealights into them, to be used indoors or out.

Those remarkably irritating (and for the most part useless) little 5" strips of ribbon that are sewn into the shoulders of sweaters and teeshirts I save and use as little bows on handknitted gifts, dolls' clothes, or as decoration on birthday parcels.
Before I had a kindle I'd cut some Christmas cards into 1.5" wide strips to use as bookmarks. (thinking about it, these could be combined with the little ribbons and used as gifts!)

pippo

good_advice wrote: »

I use a free plastic trouser coat hanger in the bathroom to hang the bath mat from the shower rail.

Cut open the toothpaste tube this morning to get one last bit of paste out before throwing in the bin.

I throw the ariel gel bottle in the washing machine when empty. It goes round with the washing and gets a rinse out. Then in recycle bin.

Thanks GA I spend 'days' rinsing that bottle to get the last dregs, never thought of that.
Pip
X
PS I also cut open toothpaste tubes:rotfl:

EccentricRavenJewellery

chinagirl wrote: »

I use empty, washed Nutella jars as glass tumblers. Noone would ever guess they weren't bought as glasses, as they all match

Hurrah! I found someone else who does this! My dad and I both have glassware from the Nutella collection (all hail the 99p shop).

MorayMintz

Loving all these tips - and altho' I've never considered my self thrifty I do seem to use a lots of the tips on here - maybe its just my Scottish genes??!!
Other ones:
I like to use postcards as bookmarks - just the right size for most paperbacks.
I also cut off the next year's calendar you usually get on the cardboard back of slimline calendars and keep this posted up by my PC - very handy for quickly checking a date.
I use the clear plastic sleeves that my bank gives me to store my passbooks [which are usually just filed away] to hold supermarket coupons - I write out a list of all my current ones to slip into the front to make it easy to check when I'm wandering the aisles.
I also wash out and keep any strong metal containers from supermarket ready roasts - handy for cooking small quantities.
I've cleaned coloured glass tea-light size candle holders and use them on my desk to hold clips, erasers, sharpeners, etc
I keep all those "easy reply" name and address stickers you get with charity raffle appeals and use them for my Christmas cards
The zipper or popper thick, clear plastic bags you sometimes get with new curtains or duvet covers are great for packing towels or clothes to store under the car front seats if you have a full load away on holiday.
There are probably more, buts that's all that come to mind at the moment!