Turn Small Waste into Useful Items: DIY Recycling and Repurposing

Don’t underestimate the small waste that is about to be thrown away. With a little thought, it can be put to great use. Source: Youtube/harugreen
There are many items in life that seem useless, such as food packaging bags, paper bags, and milk cartons. Before we know it, we throw them away as garbage. In fact, with a little creativity, these small wastes can be transformed into useful storage and cleaning tools. Source: INShami.mommy


Let’s take a look today at what small items can be turned from waste into treasures!



1. Wet Wipe Lids


Once the wet wipes are used up, most of us probably throw the lids away immediately. Don’t waste them! The uses of wet wipe lids are much greater than you think! Source: Youtube/harugreen


Stick two lids back to back with double-sided tape, and they will turn into a small storage box. Source: Youtube/harugreen


Small items that are easy to lose, such as paper clips, hairpins, and rubber bands, can be neatly stored. Source: Youtube/harugreen


The lid can also be installed on a container. For example, mark along the mouth of a PET bottle, and then cut it open with scissors. Source: Youtube/harugreen


Then glue the lid on with hot glue. Source: Youtube/harugreen


The PET bottle can be turned into a storage box to collect waste plastic bags, batteries and other items. Source: Youtube/harugreen



2. Rubber Gloves


Do you think a rubber glove with a hole is useless? The material of rubber gloves is slightly elastic. You can cut rubber bands of different sizes along the cuffs and finger parts of the gloves. Source: Youtube/harugreen


Small rubber bands can be used to organize wires, and large rubber bands can seal unfinished biscuits and grains. Source: Youtube/harugreen



3. Shoe Boxes


A shoe box itself is a very useful storage prop. Don’t throw it away. With reuse, it can replace the storage boxes at home. Since there are often many printed patterns on the outside of the shoe box, you can unfold it and fold it in the opposite direction, hiding the patterns inside. The outside will be a single-color kraft paper box, which doesn’t look out of place when placed in the cabinet. Source: Youtube/harugreen


You can choose whether to keep or cut off the box lid according to your needs.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
Reuse cut milk cartons as small item storage boxes. You can store various scattered stationery, skin care products, and batteries all at once.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
The transformed shoeboxes fit well in the wooden cabinet without looking out of place. Instead, they blend in nicely.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
Don’t throw away the shoebox lids either. They can be cut into four equal parts and then assembled to make a four-compartment storage box.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
They can also be cut in half to make two-compartment storage boxes.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
These are suitable for use in drawers and can be used to store various small items such as scissors, tissue paper, and cotton swabs.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
4. Many people stockpile a lot of paper bags, but actually have few opportunities to use them again. In fact, paper bags have a wide range of uses. Why not transform them? Paper bags can be used as storage boxes. It is recommended to measure the height of the cabinet drawer before transformation. Fold the paper bag twice according to the height and cut off the excess part.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
Then fold the paper bag inward, deliberately leaving twice the height of the drawer. This can make the paper bag double-layered, increasing its thickness and making it stand more upright when in use.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
The storage box is completed.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
It can be placed in the wardrobe and used as a clothing box. Clothes can be neatly stored. Even if one piece is taken out, the other clothes will not be messed up.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
It can also be used as a fruit and vegetable bag in the refrigerator. Place absorbent paper at the bottom of the bag and change it regularly. You can separate various fruits and vegetables, making the storage more orderly without spending an extra cent.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
Don’t waste the handles of the paper bags either. After cutting them off, thread them through the cardboard box and use them as handles.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
A storage box with a built-in handle is more convenient to pull out and take items. It is suitable for use in deeper cabinets or lockers.


Source/ Youtube/ harugreen
5. Have you stocked up on a lot of masks only to find that they have expired? Don’t rush to throw away these unused clean masks. You can actually reuse them.


After removing the metal nose bridge strip from the mask, you can put it on a mop. The non-woven fabric of the mask itself can adsorb dust and hair, and can be used to clean the floor instead of electrostatic dust removal paper. Source/INSonnela.tv


Or put it on chopsticks, which is convenient and useful for cleaning the narrow gaps of window grooves, door seams, sinks and stove edges. Source/INSonnela.tv


The oil absorption of non-woven fabric is also quite good, and it can also be used as kitchen paper to wipe the oil stains on the countertop and stove. Source/INSonnela.tv



Coffee cup sleeves


Do you throw away coffee cup sleeves if you often drink coffee? It is recommended to collect them as they have many uses. Source/ Youtube/ harugreen


Insert six coffee cup sleeves one by one to immediately complete a star-shaped pot holder. Source/ Youtube/ harugreen


You can also insert and overlap four cup sleeves to make a small square pot holder. Source/ Youtube/ harugreen


The pot holders made of cup sleeves are environmentally friendly and beautiful. They can be directly disassembled after use and do not take up space when stored. Source/ Youtube/ harugreen


Coffee cup sleeves can also be directly stuffed into boots and hats. They can be used as fixers to maintain the shape of shoes and hats, and can keep them standing upright and unchanged during storage. Source/ Youtube/ harugreen



These small waste items can be transformed by clever hands. Without much cost, you can get useful storage and cleaning tools, and achieve the goal of environmental protection and no waste. Why not do it together?


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