Ralph Waldo Emerson once described a weed as, “a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Might we not consider garbage in the same way? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, after all. To the non-recycler, an empty bottle is garbage. To the reuse enthusiast, that empty bottle could be a chandelier, a vase, a drinking glass, a candelabra… you get the picture.

 

In a world being consumed by waste, it’s time to think of our trash in a different light (and save some money while we're at it). The following 50 tips are just a few of the endless ways in which to discover the virtues of garbage.

 

1. Use a gallon milk jug to water the roots of garden plants without standing there with a hose: Poke small holes in the bottom of the jug and bury it; fill with water for slow and steady irrigation.

2. Place old silica gel packets with personal papers and important documents to protect them from moisture and mildew.

3. Humidity and light are deleterious to printed photos; tackle the moisture part by storing photos with silica get packets.

4. Use old wine corks to create a floating key ring; never worry about your keys sinking while at the beach or lake again.

5. Become a recycling old master, like artist Scott Gundersen, and transform old wine corks into masterpieces.

 

You can check out the complete list here: http://goo.gl/w60KQQ