Five Frequently Discarded Items and Their Many Uses
America
has become notorious as a throwaway culture, and rightfully so. The
United States often tops the charts as the most wasteful nation on
Earth, with each citizen throwing out an average of 4.6 lbs of garbage
everyday. And you've probably heard the statistic that says we produce
30-40 percent of the worlds trash, despite having only 5 percent of the
world's population.
When
I was growing up, I often heard that statistic being scoffed at by my
peers. "Of course we produce the most trash." they'd say "We're a
manufacturing powerhouse. We produce most of the world's goods".
However, our manufacturing base has been significantly gutted over the
past 20 years, and we're still among the most wasteful countries on
Earth. More than half of that trash comes from residential sources,
so it's not about manufacturing and commercial industries. It's a
matter of personal choice on the part of the American consumer.
So
it's up to us to do reduce the amount of trash we produce. One of the
best ways we can do that, is by reusing some of the things we would
normally throw away. Below are some of the best examples of reusable
items that we would normally throwaway.
Wire Hangars
Don't
try this at home, but I once used a wire hanger to fix a firearm. True
story. I lost a pin that was holding the handguard in place, so I cut a
small piece from a wire hanger to use as a replacement. Ever since then,
hangers have been my go to material for fixing things around the house.
In
truth, wire hangers are one of the most under-appreciated tools for
do-it-yourselfers. They can be cut and shaped into just about anything
including key rings, clips, stands, guy lines, and hooks for unclogging
drains. So don't throw away all those extra hangars you get from the dry
cleaners. They can be made into almost anything you can imagine.
Wine Corks
Most
people have never considered reusing corks, or if they have, it's
usually for an art or home decor project. However there are several ways
that corks can be turned into useful objects including pincushions,
fishing bobbers, and garden mulch. They can also be used to clean and
store knives. They're great for scrubbing carbon steel blades without
having to worry about scratches, and they can also be used to keep your
knife sharp. If you store your knives in a crowded door, simply cut a
slit into the cork and slip them onto the edge of your blade to preserve
its edge.
And of course they can be stacked into a frame and used as a cork board. Who'd have thought?
Bacon Grease
After decades false accusations, saturated fats are finally getting the recognition
they deserve. It turns out that America's obesity epidemic probably
isn't being caused by fatty food, but is more likely being fueled by a
diet that is high in refined sugars and grains. So it should come as no
surprise that a lot of people are reconsidering the disposal of
saturated fats like bacon grease, and are now cooking with it again just
like their grandparents used to do. However, bacon grease can be used
for more than just seasoning your skillet.
One
little known use for bacon grease is for splinter removal. If you ever
find yourself struggling to remove one of those dastardly bits of wood
from your skin, simply apply a small amount of grease to the splinter,
and place a band-aid over it. Let it sit for a few hours, or even
overnight, and you'll find that your skin has softened up enough to
loosen the splinter.
There are also several recipes for using bacon fat to make soap,
and you can even use it to make a candle. Pour the bacon grease in a
cup or can, and place a wick inside. Give the grease a few minutes to
soak into the wick, and then place it in the fridge until it solidifies.
Viola! You now have the best smelling candle that money didn't buy (at
least if you like the smell of breakfast).
Garden Hose
Has
your garden hose sprung a link? Don't worry, you can use that to your
advantage. As a matter of fact, poke a few more holes in it, and bury
that section of hose in your garden to be used it as a drip line. You
can also cut it into pieces and use them as handles for your tools and
buckets. Or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, there are all
kinds of wonderful projects for reusing garden hoses. Its strength,
weather proofing, and flexibility makes it a great material for crafting
baskets, lawn chairs, and doormats.
Altoid Tins
Nowadays
most companies are content to package their goods in cheap plastic and
cardboard, but not so with Altoids. They've stuck with the same hardy
metal box for decades, with little variation on the design. It would be
easy for them to repackage their candy in a cheap cardboard box like a
pack junior mints, but for whatever reason they've decided not to.
And good thing they haven't changed, because altoid tins are so useful for organizing, and they're great for making miniature versions
of larger kits. Have a tackle box? How about a mini tackle box? Do you
have a first aid kit? How about a pocket first aid kit you can slip into
your purse? Same goes with survival kits, fire starters, and sewing
kits. Use them to store your change, or to organize your spare screws
and bolts. They're so versatile that many folks have started to have a
lot of fun with them, turning them into candles holders, homemade
radios, and pinhole cameras.
Like
the other items on this list Altoid cans have dozens of uses, so think
twice before you throw your stuff out. You might just be tossing out an
opportunity to make your life a little easier.
Delivered By Ready Nutrition
Try Tic Tac containers... they are perfect for many small things like hair pins, tacs, nails, rubber bands....
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