Trash to Treasure

Don’t be wasteful!
Innovative ideas for your “trash” before you pitch it (all of which I currently employ or have employed in the past):

Cereal boxes:

Cut out 3.5” x 5” squares, and vio-la! You have a set of unique postcards

Cut off the narrow side panels. Long skinny cardboard rectangles = pretty recycled bookmarks

Fuze beverage bottles:

Remove the wrapper from the glass bottle. Wash glass bottle. Add some water and fresh-cut flowers, place on table or windowsill, and you have produced a very efficient vase. (And, moreover, a much more attractive one than the plastic Coke or milk pint bottles I have seen in some dorm rooms.)

Page-a-day calendar pages:

Instead of throwing out each page when the day is done, turn it over and start a pile on your desk. Instant memos!

Plastic shopping bags:

Wad up as packing material/padding around items shipped in mail parcels

Line smaller garbage cans (no reason to buy Hefty brand when these bags come free and equipped with handles!)

Use as rain-resistant covering for important materials (books, etc.) when carrying items out-of-doors in inclement weather