Reuse It All - Zero Waste

Most plastics in your home can be recycled. But, the berries you buy come in plastic containers that can not be recycled in most areas. Learn some creative ways to reuse them and never have to send a berry container to the landfill again!
Reuse Berry Containers

I don't know about you, but I get a lot of boxes. Maybe that means I am shopping online too often and need to do more local shopping, but anyway, how do we reuse boxes? There are many online instructions for reusing boxes as crafts. Boxes can also be reused in your garden because they block weeds. How about reusing a box to make a solar cooker? Cool huh? If none of those ideas work for you there are a few websites that actually buy used boxes for reuse: Ecobox.com and Boxcycle.com
Reuse Cardboard Boxes

I take for granted that everyone is composting, but if you are not, there is no better time to start. Collect leaves, grass, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and compost them. Anything that comes from nature, can return to the earth in the form of compost. Do not compost meat or fats from animals. There are many methods of composting. Some people make a frame to collect debris in a compost "pile." Some people buy compost tumblers. Others simply throw the waste on top of the ground in the garden, or area of the garden. I prefer to bury the waste in my garden, or in the pots and barrels i use for growing flowers. My neighbors don't see my kitchen scraps and I don't need an expensive tumbler or frame to hold in the waste. It only requires dirt, something to compost and a shovel. The worms which do the compost work will come! If you do not garden, you can still compost in a barrel or planter and use the composted soil for your houseplants. They will love it! Learn more here:
How to Make Compost

I know it's odd to reuse dryer lint, but it's one of those things that you can't recycle and we want to keep it out of the garbage. If you burn wood for heat in the winter, dryer lint becomes as valuable as gold on a cold night! Throw some dryer lint and paper under your logs and you'll have a flame in no time. There is a more extravagant, long burning recipe for fire starters involving wax in the article below. Also there are more tips for lint reuse including clay from lint and reuse in your garden.
Reuse Dryer Lint

I racked my brain trying to think up ways to reuse paper. Of course, if one side is used, you can reuse the other side for scratch paper, or kids drawing paper, before you recycle it. You can reuse envelopes this way as well.
Reuse Paper

If you don't reuse the paper, you can recycle it into new paper at home. It is time consuming, but a neat learning project for kids. You can use homemade paper for special notes, cards, etc.
How to Recycle Paper at Home

Most homes have empty toilet paper rolls as household waste, because... well the most frugal minded earthy folks still use toilet paper. Although, I have heard people discuss cloth for this purpose, this is the one product I will always prefer disposable.

So how do we reuse the empty rolls when the toilet paper is gone? Well, you can

- Reuse them to start fires. Stuffed full of dryer lint, they make quick and easy fire starters for winter months

- Reuse them to make craft projects

- Or my personal favorite ... reuse them to start seeds in your garden!

Reuse Toilet Paper Rolls to Start Seeds

You can reuse items by giving them away. Reuse groups are all over. My favorite is Freecycle. Freecycle is a global organization comprised of many, many local groups. These groups communicate by email to exchange items. A few years ago, my area didn't have freecycle, so I started a local group. You can email your group offers or wanted items. You can visit freecycle at http://www.freecycle.org, or if you want to start your own freecycle group in your area.
How to Start a Freecycle Group

One way to limit the amount of waste you have to reuse or recycle, is to use less to begin with. Here is my article full of quick and easy ways to begin using less today:
How to Use Less
Also, here are some basic tips for beginning recyclers:
How Reduce, Reuse and Recycle