Thousands of important items are trashed instead of recycled each day—mostly because people don’t know their options. According to the Toxic Substances Control Program in California, “Americans throw away about 35 billion aluminum cans every year.” RAYS, also known as Recycle and You Save, states, “A recycled six-pack of aluminum cans could save enough energy to drive a car five miles.”

Glass also can be recycled, despite minimum advertising, “Most bottles and jars contain at least 25 percent recycled glass. Glass never wears out and it can be recycled forever” (The Recycler’s Handbook). Steel is another item that’s hardly mentioned when discussing recycling. “Americans use 100 million steel cans a day. We throw away enough steel every year to build all the new cars made in America” (50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle). So what other type of items can be recycled besides paper, water bottles, cans, and plastic? Here is a list of nine creative items to recycle:

• Wrapping paper – Use as a packing tool, as animal bedding for small pets, scrapbooking material, or spitballs.

• Eyeglasses – Maybe that Lasik has worked and you no longer need those glasses. Why not give them to organizations that help the needy. Contact (800)-CLEANUP to find a list of drop-off stations.

• Old Jeans – Have some free time on your hands and a creative itch? Use your old fabrics to make quilts, pocket books and backpacks, dress up scarecrow, book covers, and whatever else you can think of.

• Bottle caps – How often have you recycled a plastic bottle but tossed the lid? Aveda has a program called Recycle Caps with Aveda, which encourages schools to get their students involved in the program. It’s a great educational tool.

• Carpet – Sure, there may be pet stains and all kinds of odors, but your old carpet is someone else’s steal! Take old carpet to a local charity or used building materials recycling center. It could as floor mats in the car or laundry room.

• Aerosol cans – take the cap off and make sure the can is empty, then place them on the curbside alone with the other recycling items.
• Computers – Every two to four years Americans upgrade to a faster, better computer. The leftovers can be cleaned up, erasing the hard drive, and donated to local organization and charities.

• Cellphones – This month it’s the iPhone. Next it’s the Storm. We go through phone so quickly, because just like computers, we want the most up-to-date software. If you’ve got phones making paperweights, try donating them to organizations that recycle them. Or, if it’s in usable condition, try reselling it online.

• VHS – Have you even heard of this? Guaranteed there is someone out there who has a VHS machine collecting dust. Free up the clutter and place them in the mail to Alternative Community Training, a nonprofit company that provides jobs to people with disabilities.

(Image Source: inhabitat.com)

Granted, I’m not suggesting that water bottle sandals are for you, but there are a number of uses for the plastic that go beyond attire and water containers. Americans purchase an estimated 34.6 billion single-serving water bottles each year. Bottled water is the single most used among all beverages, which includes alcohol, juices, and soft drinks. The growth of water bottles has increased greatly from 3.3 billion in 1997 to 15 billion in 2002. Now that’s a lot of plastic. Most bottled water is consumed away from home, normally at the park, at the gym, in the office, and while driving—areas where there is no recycling. There are hardly any areas to recycle outside the home.

About eight out of ten bottles make it to a landfill or incinerator. Hundreds of millions find destinations as litter on the roads, parks, beaches, in streams, and other waterways. Taxpayers pay numerous dollars each year in disposal and litter cleanup cost. Many people throw away water bottles after using them, because they find no need to reuse them.

Here are eight ways to reuse water bottles:
• Refill bottles with water and freeze to use as an ice package for lunch boxes
• Refill bottles with your favorite beverage or protein shake
• Refill bottles with sauces and salad dressings
• Refill bottles with water and poke holes in the top to sprinkle plants.
• Keep them and use them for students’ science projects
• Save money for a rainy day
• Reuse bottles for weights—refill different size bottles with sand or water.
A liter bottle filled with dry sand weighs about 2.6 pounds!