One of the best ways to help the environment while saving money is to reuse or recycle items! Not only can you potentially save or earn money by addressing some of these, you can also finally clear out the garage or storage shed that's been jammed full forever.
Let's dive into 20 ways you should be reusing and recycling:
- Compost pile - if you're a garden or know someone who gardens, you're going to need fertilizer. Compost piles are a cheap way to reuse thrown out food and can make excellent fertilizer for your plants. Not only are you saving money on fertilizer, you're also reusing scraps that would otherwise go to the trash piles where they have a harder time decomposing.
- Cell phones - instead of stowing it in the drawer, if you've got an old smartphone, sell it back! You'll make money as well as allow the phone or its parts to be reused.
- Magazines, Books, Paper, Cardboard boxes - obvious things to recycle, as they are easy to reuse in further products.
- Computers - if you've got a clunker of a machine, many electronic store chains will accept it and may even pay you for the parts. Even if it's too old to get money out of it, at least it doesn't have to gather dust in your basement.
- Tires - these are good to keep out of landfills due to the large amount of space they occupy. You can take these to your local recycling center so they can be reused as rubber mulch, made into new tires, or made into rubber containers.
- Paint - can be taken to your recycling center to be used in some fuels. Especially as paint is hazardous waste, meaning you can't just pour it out anywhere, you might as well let someone get more use out of it.
- Batteries - considering these are toxic, batteries should be taken to recycling centers so they don't make landfills more toxic than they need to be.
- Shoes, Jewelry, Clothes - if your clothes or accessories have gone out of style, why not donate them to a thrift store? Or, if you're needing the cash more and your clothes are in good shape, you can sometimes sell them to high-end second-hand stores.
- Plastic bags - these guys can accumulate fast, but what do you do with them? You can actually take them back to the supermarket! Many will have a bin, sometimes at the front, to collect them.
- Fire extinguishers - these are hazardous waste items, so you need to contact your hazardous waste center to find out how to dispose of them in your area.
For more ideas on recycling and reusing, check out the infographic below. I hope you'll consider implementing some or all of these ideas in your home. It'll be good for your wallet as well as the environment if you do!
