Reusing and repurposing - frugal ideas and tips on how to reuse and repurpose virtually everything!

Elisheba

Hello all,

I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on tips and tricks people have found to reuse and repurpose all the things in our lives that have come to the end of their first life, and would otherwise be chucked in recycling/bin.

From an environmental perspective recycling should be our last port of call.  Very simply, far too much 'stuff' is being produced.  The big corporations churn out more and more stuff every year, with absolutely no end of life plan, and convince people they need it.  Where things can be and are recycled, that still uses energy on transport and processing - some recycling is even sent to the Far East to be disposed off.  However, very often things aren't recycled properly and can end up in landfill, which can produce poisonous gases, or contaminate our water supply.  Or are again sent off to far away countries who get paid to take it but who don't dispose of it safely.  Anything we can reuse means one less thing bought new, and just that little bit less pressure on our very poorly planet.

From an economic and MSE perspective, it only makes sense to reuse and repurpose everything you can.  Anything you can repurpose means less money spent on buying new.  Its a proper old-style skill - in the past it simply wasn't possible to order every little thing you needed online, whenever you wanted it.  Necessity is the mother of invention, and people reused everything they possibly could, both to save money and because all our modern conveniences to solve any little problem didn't exist.

So I thought here we could all contribute all our tips and tricks for reusing our old stuff.  Nothing is too basic or simple - what might seem as clear as day to you, somebody somewhere won't have thought of yet.  Ideally they will be ideas that won't cost a fortune in buying new stuff to make happen, but sometimes a few pennies spent will mean a whole new life for an item so don't be afraid to suggest ideas that might need a little investment. Where a tip or trick needs a certain skill set, eg. sewing, that's fine as well.  Not everyone will have those skills, but who knows - you might be the person to inspire them to watch a few You Tube videos and learn!

And any ideas for things we can do with single use plastics, like yogurt pots, margarine tubs and the like, will be hugely welcome as well.  No matter how low plastic we try to get, there always seems to be some plastic involved and I, personally, really struggle with what I can do with it all other than chuck in the recycling.

So - gardening, beauty, household, clothing, car, outdoors, what ever you can think of - lets see if we can get some ideas flowing!

Elisheba

I'm going to start the thread off with a couple of really simple things.

Old socks with the heels or toes gone - can be reused as dusters.  You can put your hands in them and get to awkward nooks and crannies, or very good for wiping blinds.

Old towels - can be cut up and used as cleaning cloths.  You don't need to hem them, but if you cut them with pinking shears, or roughly hem them then they do fray less. As they are quite rough they are very good for the floor. You could also use them as face cloths.

kimwp

Great thread. I sometimes think that the availability of recycling and charity shops encourages us to acquire more and be more wasteful, as it gives a false sense that we can pass everything on and therefore not be having negative impact.

Debsnewbudget

Thank you I Have joined.
i use the large plastic yoghurt pots to sow sweet pea seeds in  and the plastic mushroom tubs to sow the rest of the seeds in.

Working_Mum

I think one of the most significant things I've done was to stop buying and using cling film - I pop things to keep in bowls in the fridge with a plate/saucer on top to keep things fresh. I've done this for about 18 years now and think it must have made a contribution to less plastic in landfill!

I have a "shop from home" mentality and like to check out what's around and could be used instead of buying something new. I use Freecycle and Men in Sheds for items which I think I'll use a few times and can't justify a big spend.

I save any pieces of wood (old toothpicks, skewers etc), nice thick paper in a bag to use as kindling for my fire pit. 

I always group jobs together and try to do them in my local town so I can walk down to the centre rather than getting in my car.

I aim for 15 no spend days per month - this concentrates my mind and means I spend mindfully. I never buy things on impulse I always leave at least 24 hours between deciding I'd like to buy something and then taking steps to buy it.

I clean my bathroom as I go along each day - I squeedgy the shower screen etc and wipe the sink after use - this means my bathroom always looks lovely but also means I never use any harsh cleaning chemicals in there.

I make the effort to separate out my recycling - my Council doesn't collect the "soft" plastic but my local Sainsbury'5 does so I have a bag on the go and always take it along to their recycling point. Same for batteries, pens and pill blister packs. I really can't bear the thought of plastic being around for millenia.

I will regularly re-dye clothing items and towels etc to maintain their colour.

I recently bought car insurance which offsets my annual mileage. My electricity is bought through an eco provider.

I read the threads on here and get a lot of inspiration

I've probably not fully answered your question Elisheba but I realised I now have very little waste that I have to consider - everything has it's place and I strive to ensure I don't leave a large carbon footprint.

Thought provoking thread thank you

Nonnadiluca

Brilliant idea for a new thread, there's so much knowledge and experience available on the forum. One ingenious repurpose by my DGD was using a wooden shoe rack to store her saucepans. 
On this very subject, if anyone hasn't read 'Less' by Patrick Grant, I highly recommend it.

Brie

Toilet rolls for seedling pots.  Make 4 cuts from one end about an inch in and then fold the split bits inward to make the bottom of the pot.  Fill with compost and add seeds.  Once the seedling are growing you can pop the whole think in the ground as the cardboard will decompose.  

Yoghurt trays for pot holders.  Supermarkets have lots of plastic trays under things like yoghurt which are perfect for using to keep your small pots in before planting whatever is growing out into the garden.  I look for ones that are different sizes to suit the different size pots I have.  Usually good for a few seasons before the plastic splits.

And while I did learn how to darn socks I don't.  Instead I buy a few pairs the same.  Or buy in a multipack.  So say I have 4 pairs of socks all identical.  I'd have to get holes in 7 before they can't be worn as socks.  When they get that far I use them for dusting by putting my hand inside. they are great for getting into small spots that you might not otherwise be able to reach.

Makingabobor2

I agree about using old clothes as polishing cloths and old towels cut up to clean bathroom etc. Don't remember the last time I bought a duster or polishing cloth of any kind. Although I do admit to being in need of some new tea towels.  
I'm also another one who no longer buys clingfilm.  I have beeswax covers and also glass/pyrex with lids.  Also I no longer use tin foil unless absolutely essential.  
I reuse all paper from printer or old cards/envelopes etc for writing shopping lists and stuff like that. Also  only use pens if essential, as pencils are much better for environment and last longer. 
Never throw bubble wrap away, if you don't need to ti wrap stuff in, it is great for covering over your seeds and baby plants. 
I'll ad a fwe more as I think of them

foxgloves

Great idea for a thread, @Elisheba. I absolutely love re-purposing things. It's a positive for the budget & the environment, so a double-win. 
I'm going to list all the stuff which we re-purpose for our garden:
*Plastic food trays for seed sowing.
*Used-up biro for a dibber.
*Odd knitting needles for staking up chilli plants.
*Ditto wooden sticks from rockets which fall into our garden on bonfire night. Brilliant free plant stakes!
*Large yoghurt pots for sowing beans & sweetpeas. No need to buy root trainer modules. I also cut these down tp use as plantpot saucers early in Spring when I need to use windowsills tp bring on tiny veg plants.
*Corrugated cardboard is used as moisture mats in worm composter.
*Large food industry lidded plastic tubs for storage. I found some of these at a local baker's shop being sold off for 20p each years ago. Still using them.
*Plant shuttle trays. Available on a free help yourself basis at garden centres. 
*Spread/butter tubs cut down to make plant labels. Have also made these from plastic dividers from A4 notebooks. I wouldn't buy these, but if I receive as a gift, it's good to be able to re-purpose those non-recyclable plastic sheets.
*If you have bought plant labels, use pencil, then you can rub it out & use the labels indefinitely.
*Small yoghurt pots - stand lots in a tray & use instead of the bought modules. 
*Large plastic drink bottles - I cut these down to make bottle cloches. 
*Old net curtains - use for a bit of warmth on cold nights. Old white voile curtains - these make pretty decent 'fleece' on cold nights & also insect mesh.
*Empty flour/sugar bags, loo roll tubes...get 'em on the compost heap.
*Misc containers. I currently have plants growing in an old enamel bread bin, a defunct metal bbq bucket & a nice zinc bucket I simply fpund under a hedge doing nothing when I was out blackberry picking! My sister once had a great display of sweetpeas growing up an old upside-down metal pan rack. 
*Broken crocks - use in containers for drainage.
*Broken terracotta pots. Depending on where the break is, can you re-purpose as a frog/toad house?
*Extra free shelving in my greenhouse is an old shoe rack. 
*Plastic gloves from hair colouring kit - always washed & saved for soggy pond jobs.
*Old lengths of carpet are useful for veggie growers - keep weeds down prior to sowing & also help warm up the soil. I'm still using a piece of carpet from 20 years ago.
*Experiment with using comfrey in different ways for free plant food. V easy to grow, bees love it & it cuts down on buying plastic bottles (though there are, tbf, commercial plant foods which are sold in cardboard boxes rather than plastic bottles).
It's amazing what can be re-used in the garden. I even have a plant stake which was originally part of a long-ago broken solar light. 
Shall enjoy finding out what things everyone else likes to re-use.
F x

florianatwobob

Oh this is a good thread!

Wooden lolly pop sticks become seed/plant markers

Old clothes get cut up for dusters/paint drop sheets

Yoghurt pots for plant pots. 

1960s electrical conduit pipes are currently a tripod in my garden 

Various bits of quality seasoned wood from 1960s ‘modernisation’ has been repurposed elsewhere in my house, some has been turned into a seed tamper for my seed trays

Jam jars/air tight coffee jars get used for all sorts including, pots for screws, freezing/storing small portions of food/sauces, dry goods in the cupboard, ends of paint pots, starting off cuttings.

I’m sure there’s more but that’s off the top of my head. 

Edit: I also reuse glass moisturiser jars and scrape out squeezy tubes of products like exfoliant into them. I snip the end off and then scrape the remaining product out using a long handled latte spoon. Whilst I'm still stuck with the need to recycle the squeezy tube the moisturiser pot has a new life and it saves me some money as there is always a surprising amount still stuck to the tube sides. 

mandy47

Love this thread.

Yogurt pots are ideal for freezing small amounts of stuff. Beaten egg for brushing pastry, cream, juices from roasts etc etc. 
Old clothes that are not worthy of donating are cut up and used for rags and cleaning cloths.
Jars for various storage and jam making.
I have 2 toilet brush holders used as tiny garden planters. Just drilled a hole in the base. 
Anything I can't repurpose is donated or correctly recycled.  I have to go out if my way with some items but it's worth it.