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Have you ever considered how much plastic you use every single day? A takeaway coffee cup, plastic water bottles, single-use cutlery, plastic bags for your fruits and vegetables... These are a couple examples of waste that every single one of us could easily reduce in our day-to-day lives. Now, more than ever before, people are beginning to understand the terrible impact these products have on the planet, and one thing we can't argue about is- it's time to make a change. This list compiled by Bored Panda shows creative ways people have decided to help mother earth by reducing their waste. Let's hope this will inspire you to be the change our planet desperately needs!
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#1
Confetti Made From Fallen Leaves! Loved This Zero-Waste Decoration Idea
RELATED:
#2
This Guy's Fence Is Made From Random Doors
#3
My Tour Guide's Tool For Picking Up Littered Bottles Along The Trail
#4
Taking A Stand
#5
My Mom’s Husband Is A Pilot So He Wraps All His Gifts In Old Flight Maps
#6
We Detrashed A Lake In Texas! 4,000 Pounds Of Beer Bottles And Beer Cans. With About 30 Scuba Divers And 4 Boats. Did It In About 4 Hours
#7
Didn't Want To Waste The Failed Films So I Turned Them Into Little Paintings
#8
My Pantry After Harvest Season Is Finally Over
#9
Turning Christmas Cards Into Tags For Next Year
#10
My Mom Is Slowly Knitting A Scarf Made Completely From Tea Bag Strings
#11
Stuffed Whales Made From Old Jeans
#12
Here Is My Old Music Used As Wrapping Paper
#13
Make A Baby Dress Out Of An Old Button-Up Shirt
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
great idea--sewing, or rather learning, is high on my list of things to do!
#14
Had A Friend Complain About Straw Bans Saying That They’re Not Even A Real Litter/Marine Debris Issue
So I did a quick 10 minute sweep of 300ft of shoreline to prove them wrong.
Alejandra Acosta 6 years ago
Is there a straw ban? Where? That's amazing. Where i live they are always giving you straws...
Kaneelbroodje 6 years ago
There will be a ban in the EU starting 2021 on disposable plastic like plates, straws, cups, cutlery. And this includes more like Styrofoam, stirrers, cotton swabs, those plastic sticks they put on balloons, thin plastic bags. :) Also the manufacturers of sigaret, balloons and some drinks and food packaging companies have to pay for the cleaning cost of litter! :)
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Carol Emory 6 years ago
I now have a re-usable straw in my purse. Came with a cloth sleeve and a brush to clean it. $5 at the local juice bar. Well worth it not to throw straws away.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
I tried to use metal straws.... and I have to admit, I HATED them. They imparted a flavour to whatever I was drinking that was, frankly, nasty. (I'm a supertaster) SO! Instead, I bought some hardened glass straws, and I LOVE them :D They're surprisingly sturdy, have nice rounded ends, are reusable, and I imagine that so long as I don't break them, they may last even longer than the metal straws. I just toss them in my dishwasher's cutlery basket, and they come out clean. I've even got a little case for my purse so I can carry them with me wherever I go.
Renee Gauthier 6 years ago
We just ordered metal straws. My boyfriend was going to make some using brake line, but it was cheaper to order actual straws.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
Plus, I would imagine that the metal would actually be food-grade too :P
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Stefanie Stokes 6 years ago
Obviously there are good alternatives like metal and glass and the above image is horrible but many disabled people still need bendable plastic straws to be able to eat or drink independently. Alternatives can provide hazards such as poor temperature conduction, breaking, not able to be positioned, hard materials that can cause injury when bitten down on, the person's ability to regularly sterilise materials such as silicone - if they don't have an allergy.
Aunt Messy 6 years ago
Did she pick up all the water bottles, too? Banning plastic straws is a meaningless way to look as if you're doing something while still letting companies like Coke and bottled water companies to escape all consequences. ...///... If you want to make a REAL impact - ban all plastic drink bottles. By promoting the straw bans, you're playing right into the hands of the REAL polluters and filling the bottling company's pockets.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
Well, Plastic bags are also a big issue. Plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic straws should really all be banned. If we want to use plastic bottles, we should make them out of bioplastics, which biodegrade.
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Patrick O'Harris 6 years ago
I rarely used straws anyway but after I've seen a guy pull a straw out of a turtles nostril I stopped using them completely.
invisible sheep 6 years ago
show them the video of the turtle and the straw... I stopped using straws completely after watching the whole painful video. It is frightening.
rhyan lumilay 6 years ago
We now have paper, bamboo and metal straws in my country. I now rarely see plastic straws anywhere and that's good since it lessens the plastic wastes.
Fixin'Ta 6 years ago
The attitude that "it's not a big deal, I don't even live near the ocean" that I often hear where I live drives me crazy. The ocean is my huge deal, but we need to take care of the LAND where we live, TOO. Plastic straws are bad no matter where you live. Use stainless steel ones or don't use any at all. It's not that hard.
Rage Racer 6 years ago
AHH, the black scary one is an assault straw! That is lot of straw trash. Would have been cooler if this person did this just because. I like to imagine based on the language they dropped them after grabbing the picture. JK, kinda
#15
Got My First Sewing Machine For Christmas, Made “Unpaper” Towels To Reduce Our Paper Towel Waste. They Clasp Together So It's Easy To Know Which Are Clean
#16
Needed An Organiser So I Made One Out Of Cardboard Instead Of Purchasing One
#17
I Hadn't Used My Reusable Bags Because I'm Pretty Socially Anxious And Was Worried About The Cashier Being Frustrated. But Used This For The First Time Today!
#18
A Customer From Work Made A Reusable Bag From Hundreds Of Plastic Ones
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
i've heard about things like this--great idea! in my area, a group even knits mats out of them for homeless people in the area.
#19
Small Wins: Convincing The Ice Cream Shop To Let Me Have It In My Reusable Cup Instead Of A Disposable Cup. The Guy Looked So Confused When I Asked!
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
i don't know why some businesses are against this (laws, maybe? idk), but i think they pay more for the container than they do the product that goes into it. allowing customers to bring their own containers benefits us all, at least twofold--less waste & higher profit margin. i know part of the reluctance to get on board has to be regulating the size of the containers that the customer brings, but surely that can be figured out.
#20
No More Plastic Bottles In The Shower
#21
Had A Volunteer Help Me Make These Stools Out Of Our Discarded Books For New Library Seating
#22
Turned Old Uniforms Into A Bed Cover For Our Foster Kittens. Cuts Down On Washing Too
#23
We Wrap Our Holiday Gifts In Fabric And Reuse It Every Year. No Tape Or Paper Trash And It Looks So Much Nicer Too
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
I'm guessing the ribbon holds it all together? i'm not good at wrapping to begin with, but this sounds like a great idea
#24
All Of This Year's Christmas Presents Wrapped Using White Paper From 1 Amazon Delivery Box
#25
Used Some Leftover Yarn To Make Crochet Produce Bags
Posted to Snapchat and 10 mins later I have 45 orders of them (and counting) for friends and family wanting to cut the plastic!
#26
We Enjoy Our Zero-Plastic Alternatives For Holding Home-Made Shampoo And Shower Gel. It Helps Our House Look More Rock 'N Roll
#27
Update: ~400 T-Shirt Pieces, Now A Quilt Top
Joelyn Kitzmiller 6 years ago
This is great! My kids were rowers and they bought a t-shirt for each regatta. A quilt from those would have been fun!
#28
My Friends Smoked A 20 Lb Turkey For Their Halloween Party. After They Carved It They Were Going To Throw The Carcass Away
I took it home with me and made 14 pints of turkey stock.
#29
I'm Never Going Back To Wrapping Paper! Used A Grocery Bag And Some String And Decided To Add An Origami Cutie To The Top
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
looking forward to the day that stores start asking "paper or plastic" again! paper bags are SO useful in upcycling
#30
I Think I'm Going To Stop Buying (New) Clothes. Made This From A $4 Shirt
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
if i was better at sewing, i would definitely do this (i love Pinterest for ideas like this)!
#31
I Made A Holder For Reusable Chopsticks, Silverware, And Straw That Doubles As A Cloth Napkin When Unfolded
#32
I'm Going To Be Wrapping My Gifts In Furoshiki From Now On
I love the idea of each person receiving a gift in their furoshiki and then using it to wrap a gift for someone else - how far will it travel?
#33
I Made Shampoo Bars: Total Cost For A Year Supply Was About $20, And No More Plastic Bottles
#34
This Year I Made My Own Origami Pill Cases To Replace The Easily Broken Plastic Kind, And They Have Held Up Well
#35
Local Custom: Around Here People Put Out Spare Veg From Their Garden For Anyone To Help Themselves
Jody Brown 6 years ago
We walk around with a wagon. "Want bananas?" "No, get plenty." "Want bananas?" "No, get choke." "Want bananas? Please take some bananas." Then we leave the rest on the bench at dog park or Ho'okipa beach.
#36
The Chairs In My Garden Are Made Out Of Shopping Trolleys
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
that's a new twist on them! have to wonder how much work it was to do? (and hoping that they were acquired legally...lol)
#37
My Boyfriend Uses Lip Balm Religiously. I Saved His Used Tubes For The Last Year And Today I Am Re-Using Them! I Found A Recipe For Lip Balm On Pinterest
#38
Went To A Party That Had A Big Recycling Can For Bottles, And A Small Recycling Can For Bottle Caps
#39
Might Not Look The Prettiest But My Sewing Project So Far, Making Face Cleaner Rounds And Other Cleaning Cloths From Old T-Shirts That Can’t Be Given To Charity
#40
Cat Food Bag + Leftover Bag Handles From A Workshop = Reusable Grocery Bag With A Giant Cat Face On It
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
i do this with feed bags of all kinds; you can use old belts for the handles, or use part of the excess bag that is cut off. my mom uses them as 'tarps' on her outside bird cages.
#41
I Wanted To Buy Some Blueberries From The Farmers' Market But Didn’t Want Any Packaging And Forgot A Container. Used My Empty Water Bottle Instead
#42
I Love This Idea - A Dog Poop Bag Dispenser Attached To A Lamppost Made From A Plastic Bottle By Local Scouts
#43
1 Month Of Trash And Still Trying To Reduce
#44
Cutting Up Unused Mesh Curtains To Make Reusable Mesh Groceries Bags, With The Emotional Support Of My Furry Buddy
#45
When You Just Have To Use Plastic Packaging, Don't Be Fooled When It's Seemingly Empty: If You Cut It Open, You'll See There's Still A Lot Left
Caroline Huot 6 years ago
YES! I always do that. People think I'm weird, but you can go such a long way. I do that with my medicated lip balm, my toothpaste, etc.
#46
I Recycled My Families Old Socks
#47
I Started Making A Basket Out Of All Of The Plastic Bags I've Been Hoarding
#48
Zero Waste Win: It Took Some Serious Cajoling But I Convinced Superstore To Put My Deli Stuff Straight Into My Own Containers
#49
Maybe Not The Most Ground Breaking Thing Ever But The Most Used Drinking Glasses In My House Are Just Old Pasta Sauce Jars
Caridina Japonica 6 years ago
We use mustard glasses. more comfortable because these are not threaded
#50
Instead Of Placing Garbage Cans Around This Beach, The City Made A Giant See-Through Fish With The Words "Goby Loves Plastic, Please Feed Him"
Kids enjoyed feeding him so much, that he's usually full by the end of the day
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What do you think ?
Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 6 years ago
Looking at these pics just wondered how many paper is wasted in receipts. In some cases are useful, but should be optional.
Cassie 6 years ago
At some stores, if you have an account, they will send your receipt to email instead of printing it. If you use Walmart pay with your Walmart app, you can get a digital receipt. PetSmart and Home Depot also have this option. I'm sure there are others.
Load More Replies...
Kiki 6 years ago
The ones involving plastic bags, unless you reuse them endlessly, they still end up in landfills. What are you going to do when that reusable bag made of disposable bags rips or falls apart? All it did was delay the inevitable.
Stina Kolling 6 years ago
If we keep delaying the inevitable, then it will slow the march towards the landfill whilst we come up with alternatives.
Load More Replies... 
GFSTaylor 6 years ago
Gift bags and the like regularly get traded back and forth between myself and some friends. There's some pretty, Christmassy tissue paper that has been going back and forth between me, Helen and Vikki for a few years now - it's almost part of Christmas, seeing it wrapping something.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
We re-use gift tissue paper a lot. You can actually iron it to make it look all smooth again :)
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Devin Robinson 6 years ago
I would love to go zero-waste, but in all honesty, I have found it to be very expensive
Honesty Olishia 6 years ago
And SO time consuming. I mean, making your own rug?? Honestly, I don't think I would have time for that.
Load More Replies...
sunnyrei82 6 years ago
One of the hardest things on being on a zero-waste journey is that many of your friends start to see you as a crazy person. They don't get it. And you can feel kinda lonely. And it hurts to see how, even thou you give your best, many of them just don't give a F. And they simply don't want to make small important changes just because they're lazy. Sad.
Isabella A 6 years ago
This is such an inspiring post. I've already made some big consumer habit and household changes based on the ideas shared here.
Zahra Deen 6 years ago
I've found it so hard to find alternatives to plastic products when i first started to actively reduce my waste. I found this website which made it so much easier to do that and thought maybe it'll help you too - https://ecoalternatives.to/
Dianne Doxsee 6 years ago
Start thinking like your Grandparents. Perhaps they have told you stories about the Depression. My Grandmothers lived through this era. Nothing went to waste. Chicken and Turkey carcasses were used to make soup. Nothing tastes better. Look up recipes on the Internet. Use those glass bottles from pasta or jam to store the soup in the freezer. No plastic consumption here. I can make 10 jars of soup for about $4.00. You do the math. Intentionally buy meat on sale. When you cook it, cook extra so that you can make sandwiches from it for your “brown bag” lunch. I bought a lunch bag and glass and plastic containers that would fit into it. Make your own coffee or tea at home and take it to work with you in a metal thermos. I must admit that I buy a case of bottled water. I live on a well and if the powers goes out, I have no pump. I will use the bottles then. Spend some money and get yourself and insulated water bottle. Add ice and tap water and go. These can be washed.
Leo Domitrix 6 years ago
Um... I was raised poor. We did most of these. (The plastic grocery bags weren't around then, however, so, yeah, I'm old.) Worn out clothes = rags or rag rugs; jars are re-used; good parts of things like jeans/shirts = kid clothing, etc. Oh, and there is no such thing as left over garden produce. It's eaten or it's preserved. I was always amazed by how wasteful people were and thought how "rich" they must be.
Stina Kolling 6 years ago
We had our first garden this past year. Had no idea how much we would actually produce and I ended up filling the entirety of the underside of our queen-size bed with jars of pickles (that's my canned goods storage area; we have a very small house). Unfortunately, a friend gave us a LOT of seeds for habaneros, and we grew WAY more habanero peppers than any normal human being could possibly use ever. Ended up throwing the last batch out into the garden for composting, in the end. We were mincing & freezing them but seriously nobody with normal taste buds could eat that many habaneros.
Load More Replies...
Raquel Bacardi 6 years ago
I'm encouraged by this post! Every little bit of effort that someone makes to RR&R is a great thing!
Valerie Fawn 6 years ago
I feel wasteful as hell now, but never too late to start being better!
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
i'm loving these ideas--i use a lot of them, but am always looking for more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Anne 6 years ago
I saw you mention you make your own toothpaste, would you mind sharing the recipe?
Load More Replies...
Parmeisan 6 years ago
Where did the tyre table go??? I refreshed the page before commenting because I wanted to see if anyone had identified all the people on it. Now it's gone. As best as I could tell, it had Gandhi, Mother Teresa, MLK, Obama, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and ... Bill Gates (who seems a little odd in that grouping). I was hoping someone could help identify the rest, as I suspect I really *should* have been able to recognize them.
Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
You're trying too hard to get downvotes, man. From now on, only upvotes from me!
Load More Replies... Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 6 years ago
Looking at these pics just wondered how many paper is wasted in receipts. In some cases are useful, but should be optional.
Cassie 6 years ago
At some stores, if you have an account, they will send your receipt to email instead of printing it. If you use Walmart pay with your Walmart app, you can get a digital receipt. PetSmart and Home Depot also have this option. I'm sure there are others.
Load More Replies... Kiki 6 years ago
The ones involving plastic bags, unless you reuse them endlessly, they still end up in landfills. What are you going to do when that reusable bag made of disposable bags rips or falls apart? All it did was delay the inevitable.
Stina Kolling 6 years ago
If we keep delaying the inevitable, then it will slow the march towards the landfill whilst we come up with alternatives.
Load More Replies... GFSTaylor 6 years ago
Gift bags and the like regularly get traded back and forth between myself and some friends. There's some pretty, Christmassy tissue paper that has been going back and forth between me, Helen and Vikki for a few years now - it's almost part of Christmas, seeing it wrapping something.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
We re-use gift tissue paper a lot. You can actually iron it to make it look all smooth again :)
Load More Replies... Devin Robinson 6 years ago
I would love to go zero-waste, but in all honesty, I have found it to be very expensive
Honesty Olishia 6 years ago
And SO time consuming. I mean, making your own rug?? Honestly, I don't think I would have time for that.
Load More Replies... sunnyrei82 6 years ago
One of the hardest things on being on a zero-waste journey is that many of your friends start to see you as a crazy person. They don't get it. And you can feel kinda lonely. And it hurts to see how, even thou you give your best, many of them just don't give a F. And they simply don't want to make small important changes just because they're lazy. Sad.
Isabella A 6 years ago
This is such an inspiring post. I've already made some big consumer habit and household changes based on the ideas shared here.
Zahra Deen 6 years ago
I've found it so hard to find alternatives to plastic products when i first started to actively reduce my waste. I found this website which made it so much easier to do that and thought maybe it'll help you too - https://ecoalternatives.to/
Dianne Doxsee 6 years ago
Start thinking like your Grandparents. Perhaps they have told you stories about the Depression. My Grandmothers lived through this era. Nothing went to waste. Chicken and Turkey carcasses were used to make soup. Nothing tastes better. Look up recipes on the Internet. Use those glass bottles from pasta or jam to store the soup in the freezer. No plastic consumption here. I can make 10 jars of soup for about $4.00. You do the math. Intentionally buy meat on sale. When you cook it, cook extra so that you can make sandwiches from it for your “brown bag” lunch. I bought a lunch bag and glass and plastic containers that would fit into it. Make your own coffee or tea at home and take it to work with you in a metal thermos. I must admit that I buy a case of bottled water. I live on a well and if the powers goes out, I have no pump. I will use the bottles then. Spend some money and get yourself and insulated water bottle. Add ice and tap water and go. These can be washed.
Leo Domitrix 6 years ago
Um... I was raised poor. We did most of these. (The plastic grocery bags weren't around then, however, so, yeah, I'm old.) Worn out clothes = rags or rag rugs; jars are re-used; good parts of things like jeans/shirts = kid clothing, etc. Oh, and there is no such thing as left over garden produce. It's eaten or it's preserved. I was always amazed by how wasteful people were and thought how "rich" they must be.
Stina Kolling 6 years ago
We had our first garden this past year. Had no idea how much we would actually produce and I ended up filling the entirety of the underside of our queen-size bed with jars of pickles (that's my canned goods storage area; we have a very small house). Unfortunately, a friend gave us a LOT of seeds for habaneros, and we grew WAY more habanero peppers than any normal human being could possibly use ever. Ended up throwing the last batch out into the garden for composting, in the end. We were mincing & freezing them but seriously nobody with normal taste buds could eat that many habaneros.
Load More Replies... Raquel Bacardi 6 years ago
I'm encouraged by this post! Every little bit of effort that someone makes to RR&R is a great thing!
Valerie Fawn 6 years ago
I feel wasteful as hell now, but never too late to start being better!
Gracie Mae 6 years ago
i'm loving these ideas--i use a lot of them, but am always looking for more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Anne 6 years ago
I saw you mention you make your own toothpaste, would you mind sharing the recipe?
Load More Replies... Parmeisan 6 years ago
Where did the tyre table go??? I refreshed the page before commenting because I wanted to see if anyone had identified all the people on it. Now it's gone. As best as I could tell, it had Gandhi, Mother Teresa, MLK, Obama, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and ... Bill Gates (who seems a little odd in that grouping). I was hoping someone could help identify the rest, as I suspect I really *should* have been able to recognize them.
Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
You're trying too hard to get downvotes, man. From now on, only upvotes from me!
Load More Replies... You May Like 63 Recycling Facts Everyone Should Know 93 Zero Waste Living Tips That Are Easily Adaptable To Your Own Needs 44 Sustainable Halloween Ideas To Make The Festivities Greener
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