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Reduce Your Waste for Earth Day

Earth Day is a great time to pause ad take stock of our habits. Is there more we can be doing to protect the Earth’s resources?

You probably already know that recycling, and buying recycled products, are an easy and effective way to reduce waste, but don’t forget about the other two steps in the popular "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" slogan.

Here are a few simple ways to reuse everyday household items that might otherwise end up in the trash:

• An empty mustard squeeze bottle is great for decorating cakes and cookies. Wash and deodorize it with baking soda before filling it with frosting.

• Used envelopes make great scrap paper. Carefully open up the envelopes and use the inside for notes, lists, etc.

• Used popsicle sticks are handy for windowsill or outdoor gardens. They can be used to mark seed varieties and planting dates planted, or as "stakes" to mark outdoor garden rows.

• Large tuna fish cans are the perfect size and shape for baking small pumpkin breads as gifts.

• Old, well-used oven mitts are great for washing and waxing your car.

• Don't fret over a lost leather glove; turn the remaining one into a handy little carrier for light tools. Cut off the fingers at the mid length, make two slits in the back to run your belt through.

• Recycle old socks into cost-free doll clothes. Cut away the foot and stitch them into imaginative stretch outfits.

For more information about Earth Day, check out our article What is Earth Day.