Everyone's heard the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle" but a lot of the time "reuse" is not practiced as often as the other two actions.  Not all products can be recycled, so those items go into the trash and end up in a landfill.  These landfills are filling up at staggering rates.  About 2 to 5 percent of what is thrown out as trash can be reused and hasn't reached the end of its lifecycle.  An even greater percentage of items recycled have not reached the end of its life this time around.  The recycling process uses lots of energy, with the collection and transportation of the recyclables and the energy used at the recycling plant, so reusing items is an even more environmentally friendly choice.  

Reusing items is more than just an eco-friendly action, it is also an economical choice.  This combination of eco-friendliness and price consciousness can be called eco-frugal.  In fact, most "green" choices are frugal choices as well because reducing your impact by reducing the amount of resources consumed means purchasing less and therefore spending less.  You can save money by making old items into new ones instead or purchasing new goods.  If you enjoy crafting, reusing items can provide a multitude of fun projects.  Old household items can be made into new cleaning products, storage containers, stylish home décor, and many other useful products.

15 Ideas for Reuse

Altoid Tins - fill with appropriate items to make a pocket size first aid kit or sewing kit to keep in your purse or car.

Belts - make a dog collar out of an old belt by cutting to fit around the dog's neck and adding a key ring to the buckle to attach the dog's identification tag.

Ceramic Tiles - make a decorative table by gluing the tiles to the top of the table.

Contact Lens Case - they are the perfect size to fill with salt, pepper or  sugar and take along with lunch at work or a picnic.

Corks - save the corks from wine bottles and glue them onto a wood backing to make a cork board.

Detergent Squeeze Bottle - fill an empty detergent bottle with water and use in place of a watering pail to water plants.

Egg Cartons - store small craft items like beads, googly eyes, and rhinestones in the egg cartons.

Glass Jars - collect glass jars for a interesting drinking glass set or use the larger glass jars as a vase for flowers.

Hangers - unbend the hangers and use them to roast hotdogs or marshmallows over a bon fire.

Mesh Produce Bags - the mesh bags that carry onion, potatoes, etc. can be made into pot scrubbers by balling them up and sewing threw them with some fishing wire to secure it.

Milk Jug - a ½ gallon milk jug can be made into a pet poo scooper by cutting off the top, leaving the handle, and lining with a plastic newspaper or produce bag for easy clean up.

Plastic Berry Baskets - thread the baskets with ribbon or cloth for decorative storage or gift baskets.

Shower Curtains - use old shower curtains as drop cloths when painting, or cut it up to make an apron.

Tooth Brush - an old toothbrush can be reused as a grout scrubber or used to scrub out stains in carpet, upholstery and clothing.

Yogurt Containers - fill with soil and seeds to make an herb garden.