In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash and recycled and composted about 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate.
On average, we recycled and composted 1.51 pounds of our individual waste generation of 4.40 pounds per person per day. source: Waste Management
With that being said, there are plenty of items that many of use already own that can help update and organize your living space.
Pallets
Pallets make for some really interesting organizers and shelving options. We’ve seen backyard furniture and dog houses built from pallets. The number of pallets used will depend on the type of project you’re taking on, so keep this in mind.
You might be wondering where you can get pallets free of charge. Often stores such as target and Walmart leave pallets in the back of the store for customers to take. Garden and Equipment Stores usually have a nice supply of available pallets and most of the new equipment is shipped in clean crated pallets so many are in good condition. The possibilities are endless, be creative!
Ice Cube Tray Organizer
Ice cube trays aren’t just for making ice cubes. You can make herb infused olive oil “ice cubes” for easy cooking, or make baking soda, white vinegar and lemon juice “ice cubes” for a fresh garbage disposal clean up.
How many times have you lost those stud earrings or extra buttons from that expensive jacket you bought last winter? Instead of having a junk drawer, an ice cube tray is the perfect way to keep organized. Now you’ll know exactly where to go if that one-of-a-kind button goes missing.
Planters / Pots
Do you need more storage for your beauty products or art supplies? The answer might be sitting in your front lawn. Using a flower box planter as a depository for medium-sized necessities is a brilliant solution to your problems. Simply remove plants, clean it out and fill it up!
You can also place stuff you pick from the garden in clean pots and rinse off dirt with water from your outdoor tap. Let the water drain out the bottom holes before storing your bounty. These are perfect storage containers for home- grown fruits and vegetables.
S Hooks
What a great item for those hard-to-store items such as purses, umbrellas, and scarves. S hooks aren’t just for hanging pots and pans in the kitchen. One benefit is they’re not as big as hangers, so they take up a lot less space. You can use pliers to tighten up their grip so they don’t come off easily.
Traveling somewhere soon? Often times the bathroom only has a towel rack. The S Hook may come in handy to temporarily hold necklaces, rings, and even your purse or handbag.
Towel Racks
Are you in a wicked rush? Sometimes with our busy lives, we don’t always have time to fold the items we use. Scarves are a good example. A towel rack is the perfect solution for your storage dilemmas. Simply loop the scarf (& mist lightly with a spray bottle of water) to return to a non-wrinkled scarf, guaranteed.
Another great use for the towel rack is to use it to hold your everyday house-hold cleansers. Simply mount a rack where you want for desired use and “latch” the cleaners on by their squeeze handle.
We hope these tips help you get a bit more organized and reuse items you already have handy. For help getting the rest of your house sparkling clean, request an estimate!