Save Your Recyclables: How to Use Old Recycling as Storage Savers

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Depending on where you live, recycling may not be an easy task. Some communities don't even have a local center. And beyond that, reusing something has less of an environmental impact than recycling. So when you can reuse, you absolutely should. But it's not always easy to see treasure when "trash" stands before you.

Here are some simple and creative ways to re-purpose your recyclables for storage.

Coffee Creamer Bottle Salad Sprinkles

Are you trying to add more healthy nuts and seeds to your salads? Make it easy for yourself by re-purposing a creamer bottle. Simply remove the label and wash. Then add things like:

Orange Juice Bottle Watering Can

After cleaning the bottle, simply use a small drill bit or hammer/nail to bore some tiny holes into the lid. Fill it with water. Screw on the lid tight. And then, turn the bottle at an angle to allow the sprinkles to cascade over your plants.

Single-Use Plastic Bottle Wastebasket 

You'll need a couple of metal rings for support here. So look for old furniture or machinery that has them. Then string four bottles together with a wire running through top to bottom. Glue the bottle columns to each other to create a cylinder. Use a recycled piece of wood, metal or hard plastic for the round base, and Voila! 

Old Desk Recycling Station

Do you have a table, desk, armoire or dresser that's on its way out? Turn that old wood into several crates. Use them for anything. But they're perfect for recycling.

Carefully disassemble the furniture. Then cut the wood into slats. Nail those slats together to form a crate. Paint each container with a different vibrant color. Then stencil on a label such as:

Now, when someone visits your home, they immediately sort recyclables into the right bin. 

Hopefully, these ideas will help you see other recyclables in a new light to create your own up-cycled storage solutions.