If you are a socially conscience person, with a modicum of knowledge about how the world works, you’ve probably had pangs of guilt when you bin your rubbish clearance. The reason you may be feeling guilty is you know where most of that rubbish is going… to the landfill, right? We’re here to show you how to ease your guilty conscience with seven tips on how to repurpose your rubbish clearance and keep it out of the landfill.
1. Dustpan Rubbish Clearance
When you sweep the floors and get a dustpan full of dust bunnies, do you bin these? A better place to take them is your compost pile. It is easy to set one up a compost pile in your garden. Even if all you have is a small patio or deck at your flat, you can still set up a compost pile in a container you rescue from street rubbish. In two or three months, you can use this rich compost to grow roses, lilies, tulips, daffodils, carnations, and bluebells. From dust under the bed to vibrant flowers… how’s that for dramatic repurposing of rubbish clearance?
2. Mail Order Boxes, Toilet Paper Rolls, and Macaroni Boxes
You may not realize this but all paper products, including all cardboard boxes, are just highly processed plant material. Therefore, you can compost it all, just like you would your yard waste removal. If you order products through the internet, you no doubt end up with a lot of boxes. Stomp them down and or tear them into smaller pieces (this is otherwise known as stress therapy) and then put them in the compost pile. Do the same with food boxes, paper towel rolls, and any other paper headed to your rubbish clearance bin!
3. Food Scraps
Hopefully, you have a lot of vegetable and fruit scraps because that means you’re eating healthy (if not, maybe you should consider the rubbish clearance in your own body – yikes!). You can put all plant based kitchen scraps in your compost pile. This even includes tea bags, coffee grounds and other food scraps such as old bread, pasta, rice, and cereal. The exception should be meat, dairy, eggs (but you can put the shells), and grease. These food items do not decompose well in a regular compost pile and they attract rodents and other pests.
4. Left Over Grease
Some people hide their grease in coffee cans but this is a disaster when it gets to the landfill! Although you should not put grease, such as bacon grease, into your compost pile, there is another amazing way to repurpose this waste removal outdoors! You can use it to make suet for attracting birds to your yard! The simplest way is to store the grease in a container in the refrigerator until it turns into a solid. Then put it outside for the birds. If you want to get fancier, you can put the grease into a pot, warm it a bit, and then add some peanut butter and bird seeds to the grease. The song birds and woodpeckers will love you and your suet will bring them in close to your windows to enjoy!
5. Furniture
So much furniture is thrown away in rubbish clearance because it doesn’t look pretty any more. So, make it pretty again! You can turn the “furniture revamp” project into a bonding experience with the kids, one of your siblings, your spouse, or a good friend. If the furniture is wood, you can sand it down and stain it a different color. You can always paint any type of old furniture. You can stencil it, put pretty decals on it, or decoupage it. You could even cover it in tiles or other objects you find. If your old furniture needs new upholstery, do a search for “upcycling classes” or “upholstery classes” in your area. If you don’t want to take the class yourself, you could always donate your furniture to a student who does want to take the class.
6. Miscellaneous Rubbish Clearance Repurposing Tips
Use old pill and vitamin bottles to organize nails and other loose hardware or fill them with water to make miniature sized “ice packs.” You could also put pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in them and carry one in your purse, backpack, or briefcase for the perfect high energy snack. Cut old inner tubes into custom sized “rubber bands” (big ones can be used like bungee cords — you can probably even find some scrap metal for end hooks). Unravel your old sweaters and use the yarn to knit a better one or a cute toy. Make a raincoat for your dog from the material of an old broken umbrella. Make a funky necklace tree out of an old rake head. Bottom line, be creative and find a new purpose for as much rubbish clearance as you can!
7. Use Clearabee’s Rubbish Clearance Service
Most people put their rubbish clearance out for the council service. However, there are much better alternatives! If you live in England, Scotland, or Wales, your best alternative is Clearabee’s rubbish clearance service. You can book regular pick ups or simply call them when you need them so it’s a much more convenient and flexible service. However, here’s the best part. They repurpose about 90 percent of the rubbish they collect either by taking it to a place to upcycle it, recycle it, or fix it and resale it. Bottom line, it’s the right thing to do and you’ll find the service more to your liking.
