Recycle, Reuse, and Repurpose Ideas

We are all about recycling at East West Markets! The environment gives us so much, and we love finding ways to repurpose items that would otherwise end up in the garbage. These ideas will help you find ways to repurpose items you already have around the house, no purchasing necessary. 

1) Glass Jars - Clean out your glass jars after use. Repurpose to store bulk food ingredients, preserve jam or jellies, for takeaway coffee and tea, store non-food items such as toothbrushes or pens, package homemade gifts such as soap or baked treats, use as a water glass, or store premade salads and lunches for convenient on-the-go use.

2) Disinfecting Wipes Container - Dry out your disinfecting wipes container. Remove the wipe dispenser lid portion. Add fun stickers to the container and a label. Use to store long craft supplies such as coloured pencils, felt pens, paint brushes, and gel pens. 

3) Newspapers - Repurpose the newspaper you’ve finished reading by using it to replace plastic garbage bags. Line the inside of your garbage can with flat newspaper sheets. This works best on smaller garbage cans.

4) Tissue Box - Tissue boxes are wonderful for DIY kids crafts. They can be magically turned into an indoor mailbox, picture frame, gift tags, hanging paper lantern, jewelry storage box, or a toy car wash (with a little bit of imagination). 

5) Food Scraps - Find ways to eat your food scraps instead of letting them go to waste in the trash. A great example is turning potato peelings into crispy chips. Toss them in olive oil, sea salt, and garlic powder. Bake until crispy. Another example is chopping up cauliflower or broccoli stalks and adding them to curry, pasta, or stir-fry dishes. You can also save those odd bits from chopped vegetables and save them to make soup broth. 

6) Yogurt Container - Clean out and dry your yogurt container. Use as a homemade popsicle mold (just add juice and popsicle sticks), snack storage for chopped up apples and washed berries, a mini planting pot by decorating with twine and lace, homemade soap mold, or storage pots for garden seeds (just make sure to label them). 

7) Empty Tape Rolls - Add a cardboard bottom and some decorative paper and turn into an open-faced jewellery box. Other ideas include a rope-wrapped candle holder, DIY cubby shelf, or chunky bracelet. 

8) Candle Jars - Once the wax is all cleaned out, these beautiful jars are perfect for repurposing. Some ideas include a DIY body scrub jar, create a new candle with old wax, keep the jar empty and add a tea light for an outdoor decoration, liquor glasses, tea & coffee holder, spare change jar, planter for a small succulent, hold lip balms or hair elastics, or to store pet treats.

9) Basket - Turn into a lampshade, wall art, hanging plant basket, bathroom storage container for toilet paper or fluffy towels, fall wreath, fire wood storage, or as a plush cat bed (add some cozy blankets and pillows). 

10) Old Dishes - Old dishes such as tea cups and cereal bowls make the cutest potted plants! They are the perfect size for becoming little succulent pots.