Americans generate a lot of waste, with much ending up in landfills despite efforts at recycling. One way you can help combat this problem is to repurpose household items you no longer use into something useful for others.

Baby lotion bottles are often overlooked when it comes to recycling efforts, yet you can turn one into an efficient cell phone charging station! Plus, cardboard boxes can make excellent drawer dividers!

1. Empty Toilet Paper Tubes

People are used to reusing egg cartons and canning jars, but cardboard tubes found in toilet paper, wrapping paper and paper towel rolls can also be reused around the home for creative crafts projects or eco-friendly home solutions.

As an example, you can create an easy and adorable DIY hairband holder from toilet paper rolls with glue – this will keep all of your accessories organized and easy to locate!

Empty toilet paper rolls can also be repurposed as DIY fire starters by stuffing dryer lint into them to get your campfire going quickly and cheaply.

Cutworms (moth larvae that feed on young seedlings) can also be combatted in your garden by creating a protective collar from empty toilet paper rolls and tucking it around their base – The Spruce has an easy how-to for this effective and cost-efficient strategy.

2. Old Teacups

When you come across a beautiful teacup at the thrift store or your grandmother’s cupboard, don’t just throw it away – use it instead to create home decor, party favors or even organize your home! Repurposing old teacups makes a wonderful statement while helping reduce waste!

Making decorative candles from teacups and wicks can be a rewarding DIY project that makes an elegant present or can add beauty to special events or gift giving.

Make an eye-catching display in your home with an easy DIY succulent or flower planter made of a teacup! This project can quickly bring life and color to any area while offering you a fun way to grow herbs or flowers!

Recycle old glass jars by turning them into storage containers or jewelry holders, while you could use empty baby lotion bottles as cord organizers.

3. Glass Jars

Glass jars are one of the best items to repurpose when it comes to living a zero-waste lifestyle, being inexpensive, durable and easily accessible – not to mention they make excellent presents!

Arrange your bathroom supplies in a glass jar for quick and easy access to cotton balls, Q-tips, hair ties and more. Decorate it to match the theme of your bathroom or leave it clear so you can see exactly what’s inside.

Use a glass jar as decorative mood lighting for your home. This works best when wired lighting designed to curve upward is placed within it; the lighting looks beautiful when displayed within a taller or wider jar. Another use for glass jars in your home includes sewing kit storage – store thread, buttons and needles together in one clean glass jar; even add a pincushion for better organization! Finally, glass jars make ideal containers for nuts and bolts storage either in your garage or home, since their contents can easily be seen without having to search through opaque boxes!

4. Paper Towel Tubes

Make the kids feel special while using up any extra paper towel rolls with this fun craft project, perfect for teaching them how to save money! Plus, this makes an awesome party game!

Today it can be challenging to keep track of all those small cords that come with electronic devices. Instead of tossing them away into drawers where they become tangled and forgotten about, Natural Living Ideas suggests stuffing them into empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes cut in half and labeled. Each tube can hold one cord securely.

Spread some peanut butter onto paper towel rolls and roll them around a plate of bird seeds to create homemade spyglasses! Not only is this project great fun, it will attract wildlife into your garden as well as help control pests!