Recycling has been touted time and again as the simplest way to start being “green.”

The concept is simple: don’t throw away, but reuse. Through recycling, every person is able to reduce their personal waste and save materials through recycle goods.

This same idea can be applied to everyday life. While not everything can be recycled in the typical notion, most goods that otherwise might be thrown away can be reused.

Here are a few simple ways to get started “reusing.”

Zip-lock bags

Zip-lock bags come into the house from a wide variety of places. Sandwich meats and cheeses from the deli case come in gallon-sized bags; some pharmacy deliver medicine in them; many products separate their different parts by using zip-locks.

No matter how they come into your house, don’t let them leave in the trash. With a good hand wash, zip-lock bags can be used again and again to keep food fresh, store batteries, keep coupons, or anything else you can think of!

Greeting cards

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Greeting cards need not be thrown away or recycled after the holidays.

The bright, often sparkling, fronts make great gift tags for other presents. Cut the two sides apart and recycle the side with writing.

Cut the other side to focus on a specific pretty image or keep it whole. Write your gift message on the back and tie or tape it to your presents. The scrap cards can be kept with wrapping paper for easy access whenever you need them.

Children may also enjoy using the cards in art projects. If you don’t have any kids of your own, call a local school and see if their art department or kindergarten classes would be interested in taking them.

Clothes and Shoes

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Take a look at your closet and see what items have been dangling on their hangers for months on end.

Ask yourself what items you have gone a year without wearing. Even if you tell yourself you may find an occasion to bring them out again, you probably will not if a year has already passed.

Instead of letting them take up space in your closet, donate them to a thrift store or a homeless shelter. Someone will find a use for them at either of these places and you’ll be helping others.

Seeds

If you already have a garden, you have an excellent source of seeds. To get the seeds from fleshy vegetables, let the vegetables ripen slightly past the point where you would pick and eat them. When you do pick them, scoop the seeds out, separate them from the pulp, wash and dry them.

With pod plants, let the plant dry on the stalk and, then, collect, wash and dry the seeds. Save the seeds for the next planting season or give to friends and family so they can start their own garden.

Kitchen containers

Most dry or packaged food comes in a container that can be saved and reused. Wash out pasta sauce jars or hard plastic pasta containers and save for the next time you need to save leftovers or are making your own pesto.

Colorful paper

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Bright magazines and used wrapping paper can be neatly saved and stored for a few uses.

Like greeting cards, kids may enjoy collaging with or drawing on the fun designs.

Both can also be reused for new wrapping paper; just cleanly open your presents or cut out the magazine pages to save for the next time you are giving a present.

T-shirts, sheets, towels

Any old linens can be reused and repurposed. Turn old handkerchiefs into napkins for casual BBQs or kids parties. Your children may want to use their old clothing to dress up dolls or stuffed animals. Of course, towels and torn sheets can be cut down and used as rags for cleaning the house.

Office paper products

Office paper that has only been printed on one side can be fed back through the printer for another use. Once both sides have been used, then, put the paper in recycling or give it to the kids as drawing paper. Opened envelopes can also be drawing paper.

To reduce waster and save money, Terry Carter tries to reuse and repurpose as much as possible. She freelances about a variety of topics, including a great Phoenix Bankruptcy Attorney.

Related articles

• Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas & Free Printable Gift Tags (greenyourdecor.com)
• Green Holiday Recycling Tips (ballardnewstribune.com)
• Reduce, Reuse, and Rejoice (thinkoutsidethebin.com)