Use it again!

I reuse the plastic bags from the grocery store for my smaller trash cans. Th salad containers that you get at fast food places are really useful for leftovers too.

ohh a lot really if we could only take time outs and have time to do things to save. i use old panties, cut it into small pieces and use it as pillow fillings. i have four childrens so their clothes that cant be used anymore i cut into tiny pieces and make pillows. i also know how to sew so if they have pants that they dont like to wear i cut it to make it as a short and put other designs to make it hip. old toothbrush can be nail brush (toes or fingers). i use also old toothbrush as a brush when i am coloring my hair. i reuse the bottle of bottled water as storage of water inside the fridge.

Check out this website: www.freecycle.org They are a non profit organization that specializes in re-using items. If you've got something that you no longer need, post it. Someone who needs it will contact you and you can give it to them. There are local groups so that you'll only be contacted by people in your area. All items are given away for free. It's a great way to reduce waste.

My daughter and I re-use Kleenex boxes. When they are empty they make nifty catch alls for extra art supplies. And you can use them for craft projects. One time we used a Pufs box and empty toilet paper rolls . We made a boat. Not one to float in the tub. But one she could use to help her imagination grow!

I use old shirts for rags. Jars with lids and coffee cans are great for storage. Small yogurt cups with no lids are great for my painting projects. I mix the paint colors I need, and I can just throw them away when I am done. I save the twistie ties from bread and stuff like that, I keep them in a washed out cream cheese container with a lid- use them to close bags of cereal and chips to keep them from going stale. If you have children, there are tons of things you can save to make toys and things. For babies and young toddlers fill a water bottle about 3/4 with water, then add whatever you want to it- some buttons, seashells, glitter, Monopoly houses. Then glue on the top and they will enjoy playing with it. Leave the water out and it makes a rattle. Use coffee cans for stilts. Just punch a hole on either side near the bottom to string a handle through. Empty wrapping paper tubes and a large cardboard box make a rowboat and oars. Use old scratched CD's to make a mobile. Here is an article with some uses for old, broken crayons. http://www.helium.com/tm/617579/broken-crayons-youre-wondering

I re-use lots of things. Old socks are great to dust with. Slip one on your hand instead of using a dust rag. Much easier! I re-use plastic grocery bags for cleaning the kitty litter box and smelly foods if the garbage won't be going out for a couple of days. I also hang one on the door here in the office instead of a trash can. I get nice heavy duty plastic bags when checking out several books at the library and re-use those for my current crochet projects and general storage. Like others have said, I re-use old toothbrushes for cleaning and touching up with hair dye, and a used water bottle is what I drink from every day. I think it goes without saying that I save sturdy plastic tubs for food storage, and I use coffee cans for smelly foods or used grease. Plastic ice cream containers hold bird seed and squirrel food, and jars from peanut butter, etc, always come in handy to hold something.

In our house we have a tendency to save a lot of things and reuse them in new ways. For example, plastic containers that food comes in (like coolwhip bowls, sliced meat boxes, butter containers) get washed up and make good storage containers (with lids!) to put left overs in the refrigerator in. Plus, if you take leftovers to work or school with you and loose the container, or if something goes really rancid in the refrigerator, you never feel bad about loosing the container. It's not expensive Tupperware! Used jars (like from dips) get saved as well since they can make good storage containers as well. They also make fine grease catchers. Make some fried chicken, instead of pouring the grease in a bag or down a sink, we just pour it into one of those jars when finished cooking. Allow to cool and throw away. No worries about clogging sinks or tearing up bags with it. Plastic bags from the grocery store make great trash bags, not to mention, when you're storing the bigger appliances you can use them as covers to keep the dust off. We stick the crockpot's lid in a bag, place it on the crockpot (handle side down) and then place another bag over it all and store it. No dust, no surprises when you take it off the shelf to use. Old socks, t-shirts, and cotton undies make good cleaning rags when you cut them up. They're soft from wear so you can use them polish with no problem.