Spring Cleaning: Simple Ideas to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

When the winter snow melts to show off the green of spring, it gives us one more thing to appreciate about Mother Nature. To show our appreciation, we’re always coming up with ways to preserve and protect our environment. This year, as we do our spring cleaning, we’re sharing with you a few simple ideas to reduce, reuse and recycle to make Mother Nature proud.

Every Day

1. Just because an old water bottle can’t hold water anymore doesn’t mean it can’t hold something.With clever cutouts it turns into a gadget you didn’t know you need – a wall mount for your cell phone while it charges. It’s a brilliant way to repurpose the used, but not used up bottle.

Crafting

2. Save your cans. They’re the crafter’s dream material. Soup cans, coffee cans, paints cans: save ALL your cans. From lamp shades to biscuit cutters, there isn’t much you can’t do with a can.

3. Got something to stuff? That leftover pill bottle cotton can fill a sock doll. All of that dryer lint you toss in the garbage? You can stuff a pillow with it. No need to fill a landfill when you need to fill a toy.

Gardening

4. A milk jug is the gardener’s little helper. Jugs have many uses, but for the tomato gardener, it is heaven sent as a DIY trench watering system. Poke a few holes in the bottom and sides, dig a small trench near the plants and bury the jug about half-way. Fill the jug with water and it will slowly release water into the soil to keep it moist.

5. How many times have you seen a discarded wooden pallet and thought “I know I could do something with that”? Well, a garden walkway is about the easiest thing you can do with a wooden pallet. It requires little more than pulling it apart and arranging the pieces along a dirt path. It’s so easy you’ll be kicking yourself for not having thought of it yourself.

Cooking

6. Cereal or cracker box lining can be used anywhere you might use wax paper or parchment paper. Cutting the ends and along one side you have good sized sheet. In baking, you can use it to roll out ice box cookie dough or to line cake pans. It saves money, time and waste.

7. For the mismatched dishes you just can’t seem to get rid of, a clever way to make use of them is by making them into a tiered server. The project does require some tools and materials, but it will be worth it to see your plates in play again.

At The Lakeside Collection, we have all sorts of products and ideas to celebrate every season! Whether you need tips on making your spring garden more environmentally friendly or you’re looking for BBQ gadgets for your 4th of July cookout, shop Lakeside for inspiring products at reasonable prices.