Think twice before throwing something out. There are thousands of ways to reuse and repurpose empty containers and household items that are broken or worn out for the purpose originally intended. When recycling things into a new way of using them, you gain value, save money, and contribute less to the over-burdened landfills.

In contemporary times, we need to change our attitudes about one-use disposable items. Postconsumers website reminds us, most plastics do not degrade for 450 years, and some do not biodegrade for up to a thousand years. During all that time, plastic bottles release toxic materials into the environment. The Egyptians left their legacy of the pyramids. Modern humankind leaves the legacy of plastic.

Here are some clever and surprising ways to use common household items to give them a second life:

• Use the fabric from a broken umbrella to make a reusable shopping bag. Just sew the two sides together.
• Use broken crayons and bottle caps to make votive candles. Using an empty can, remove any paper from the broken crayons, gently melt them, and pour the melted wax into the bottle caps. Add a wick before the wax cools. For safety, float the votive candles in a bowl of water while burning them.
• Use broken plates and dishware as decoration for garden borders and around the base of plants.
• Use an old bicycle wheel as a hanging pot rack.
• Remove the drum from a broken washing machine and use it to make an outdoor fire pit.
• Use an old suitcase as a coffee table that also provides storage. Just add wooden legs. Old suitcases lined with worn out bedding materials also make terrific beds for small pets.
• For the plastic bottles, which cannot be recycled, they make great flowerpots, drawer organizers, penholders, lamp covers, decorative chandeliers, wall decorations, jewelry holders, outdoor shade coverings, and so much more, only limited by your imagination. Use the bottle caps to make a decorative mosaic.

Contact the agents at Access Insurance Services to review an existing home insurance policy for adequate coverage or to get a new policy if you just moved into the neighborhood. You can request a quote using the contact form on the Access Insurance Services website.