Creative Recycling Ideas

United Nations figures show that the world produces 2.12 Billion TONS of waste every single year, and the figures are going up! Fortunately, there are some creative recycling projects at home that can help save the planet.

Not only that, but you’ll have a lot of fun doing these creative recycling projects – whether on your own or with family and friends! Unfortunately, it’s true to say that, many people have lost sight of the traditional “make and make do” philosophy. Modern life is fast and everything feels disposable.

However, there are considerable benefits to slowing down and thinking of ways to reuse common household items! Creative recycling is good for the environment, saves money, and can form the basis of an enjoyable hobby. Nowadays more and more people are taking this one step further, and turning their recycling ideas into money-making projects, with some even building businesses around upcycling items that would otherwise have been discarded!

This article provides an abundance of ideas on how to make creative things from waste material at home. These ideas are a lot of fun, as well as being good for the environment.

Top 10 Reasons to Recycle

There are many good reasons for recycling; While the main reason that it’s great for the environment is, of course, perfectly true, there are plenty of specific reasons too.

It can be an extremely enjoyable way to spend time, on your own or with your family.

Modern landfill sites have improved.

Recycling reduces global warming and prevents unnecessary greenhouse gasses from reaching the atmosphere.

Recycling (and up / downcycling) benefits wildlife; The damage done to ocean life by discarded plastic bottles, for example, is well documented.

Recycling greatly reduces energy use. For example, producing aluminum cans from “secondary production” uses 92% less energy than doing so from raw materials.

New raw materials are made from recycled products, that provide a way to make new things without the further use of resources that may be finite.

Reusing materials for new purposes can save a massive amount of money. As this article shows, many useful items can be created by repurposing items that would otherwise have been discarded.

When more people become environmentally aware, the demand for recycled products increases. This creates a self-perpetuating circle of demand that’s good for the industry as well as for the planet.

Water pollution is reduced when recycling increases, as producing goods from recycled materials doesn’t pollute as much as using virgin raw materials.

With an average family in the western world producing a ton of waste each year, recycling is one activity where just one family (or one person) can make a significant impact.

Whether you’re recycling by sending materials for industrial reuse or reusing items by trying out some of the recycling projects here, you’re contributing to a global effort to improve the environment for everyone, and for the future.

What things can be recycled?

If you’re looking to make something useful out of something recycled, you may be surprised by just how many items you can reuse creatively. Even a simple plastic bottle can be turned into a garden sprinkler, a bird feeder or even a watering can!

So never assume the only possible destination for an item is the trash. There are creative recycling projects out there for dozens of everyday items, including (but by no way limited to!) the following:

Glass bottles

Plastic bottles

Paper rolls (from kitchen towel and toilet paper)

Stale bread

Clothes

Books

Vegetable peelings

Plastic Pots

Corks

Dryer sheets

Coffee grounds

Egg cartons

Shoe boxes

Old and damaged tiles

Bottle caps

Mailing tubes

Non-Recyclable Items

Unfortunately, there are non-recyclable items that have to go to the landfill if you can’t find an alternate use for them. One way to reduce the environmental impact of these items, in some cases, is to try to refrain from using them whenever possible. Instead, select the items that can be recycled.

Plastic wrapping

Bubble wrap and packing “donuts”

Items tainted by food

Ceramics

Disposable nappies

Laminated paper

Wood

Garden waste

Mirrors

Mattresses

Plastic Bottle Recycling

Plastic bottles are causing a serious environmental problem at the moment, and there’s lots of pressure to reduce their use. Now there are multitudes of things you can do with them to keep them out of your household waste.

Jet Pack Costume

There are dozens of way more practical ways to upcycle plastic bottles, but the jet pack costume is sure to be irresistible to anyone with children and is really easy to make!

A cardboard backboard is all that’s needed to form the center of the costume. Straps are attached to one side, and two downward-facing large plastic bottles attached to the other. With orange tissue paper for flames and a little paint, these are easy to build and customize – and quick enough to make to build several for a Halloween party.

More Plastic Bottle Recycling Ideas

Here are some more plastic bottle recycling projects you can try at home:

Garden sprinklers

Mailing tubes – send sweets, crayons, or papers in the mail

Bird feeders

Organizers for pens or makeup

Scoops and trowels

Piggy banks

Garden Pots

Like what you read? Send me a gift below to help contribute to my next adventure!