In a time where many people are doing what they can to reduce their environmental impact, many people are looking toward recycling. While you may be accustomed to recycling appropriate waste, there are several other ways that you can reduce, reuse and recycle goods. If you want a few ideas of how you can improve your recycling efforts, here are seven amazing strategies that you need to try.

Donated Items

Giving items a second life through the donation process is a wonderful way of recycling. Oftentimes many households replace or upgrade items, leaving them with leftovers that still have additional life. If you want to ensure that you give these items a second life, consider donating them. While many people are accustomed to dry goods and clothing donations, many people are surprised that you can provide anything from mattress donations to home appliances.

Recycling Fabric

Whether you have t-shirts with holes or blankets that are a bit worn, most households have clothing or fabric-based items that are still in good shape even if they cannot achieve their original purpose. You can recycle these and use them in a myriad of other ways. Consider creating hair accessories like scrunchies, toys for your pets or turning more worn pieces into reusable rags. These give your old fabrics a whole new purpose and keep them from ending up in the waste bin.

Repurposed Plastic Bottles

While you may be accustomed to recycling old plastic bottles as a form of waste, there are a surprising number of other purposes for used plastic bottles. Whether you want to create a craft for the kids, develop organizational systems out of bottles or install a full plastic bottle vertical garden, many ideas out there will astound and amaze you. Although your bottle may have a limited shelf life, you can turn it into something else entirely and use it for a long time to come.

Wine Bottles

Plastic bottles are not the only bottles that can be repurposed. When you have finished off a bottle of wine, consider turning it into home décor. Throwing a set of fairy lights inside or frosting it with a can of spray paint can turn an ordinary empty wine bottle into something eye-catching and appealing. If you want to go all out, you can consider something more extravagant like a full empty wine bottle chandelier or centerpiece.

Easy Plant Food

Composting is another great way to recycle old materials. When you are finished with your food or have food waste, you can repurpose that and create new energy sources. Old eggshells can turn into plant food and food scraps can become soil. Whether you work with a composting company or manage this on your own, turning your food waste into a plant energy source can have wondrous environmental benefits.

Food Scrap Recipes

There can often be a surprising amount of waste produced by food scraps. You may be surprised to learn that what you thought was trash could have another purpose. Whether you are cutting off carrot tops, broccoli stems or citrus peels, these often get tossed. What you may not realize is that you can use food scrap recipes to turn your waste into something mouthwateringly delicious. Don’t let another scrap go to waste when you can recycle it and create something spectacular.

Recycled Technology

Not all of your recycling efforts have to be done at home by yourself. Some efforts can be handled by others and still have just as much impact. If you are replacing your devices, this provides you with a great opportunity to recycle. Instead of throwing your phone in the trash where the battery will decompose and cause environmental damage, consider recycling it.

Recycling efforts can often be misconstrued as only waste-focused strategies; however, there is a whole world of recycling at your fingertips. Whether you use existing systems that aid in recycling efforts, repurpose old items or make something new out of what would normally be categorized as waste, don’t miss out on the opportunity to live a greener life.