With a struggling economy, families are looking for creative ways to save money. You normally don’t think of recycling as way to save money but there are plenty of ways to use recycling as a way to gain cash. So how does recycling save money?
1. By saving aluminum cans, plastic bottles and bags, or beer bottles.
Don’t just throw these items away. Save them and take them to your local distribution center. They usually buy them by the crate for a little over a dollar. In certain states, grocery stores carry a machine where you can deposit the bottles manually and receive cash back on the spot. It may not be much money but think about how much of this trash builds up on a daily basis especially if you have a big family. One trip could get you an extra $50.
2. By getting cash back by recycling clothes and toys.
Look through your closet and you’ll probably find several pieces of clothing that still has the tag on them. Maybe you have a couple of outfits that you only got to wear once. If you still got all the clothes you used to where before you had your babies, then now is the time to get rid of them. Plato’s Closet is a store that takes new and gently used clothing in exchange for cash. If there’s no Plato’s Closet near you, then try to locate a store that does something similar.
You can do the same with old toys and clothing that your kids have either grown out of or no longer care to play with anymore. Once Upon a Time is a children’s clothing store that takes new or gently used item in exchange for cash. If there’s not one near you, you can always post the items on Craigslist. Parents are always looking for cheaper ways to purchase stuff for their kids.
3. By saving shampoo, lotion, soap, deodorant, and any other personal item you can think of.
Do you throw away your shampoo bottle once the contents get so low that you have to shake the bottle to get any out? Or when that bar of soap gets so tiny that you can no longer use it effectively, what do you with it? Save it. Don’t throw away those shampoo or lotion bottles once they get low. Instead, after you gather a little collection of the almost empty shampoo bottles, combine them to make one full bottle. The contents may be a little hard to get out so you might have to cut open the bottle and retrieve the contents with a butter knife.
As far as the leftover bits of soap are concerned, they work great as a stain remover. Put them all in container, add some water, and put it in the microwave to melt. Then place the melted soap directly on the stain right before a wash. That works better than the expensive stain remover you get at the store.
4. By recycling containers and boxes.
This can also help you to organized things. You use these old boxes to keep your kids’ toys in, for family photos, jewelry, or seasonal items. You can store many different things in these boxes.
5. By reusing some of the following items:
- Gift wrap bows
- Gift baskets/boxes/bags
- Cards
- Cloth napkins instead paper napkins
I do keep the plastic containers and handy boxes , however every now and then I had to throw them out. I do get a lot of use out of them though and I hate to throw things out, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Hi there Kelly
I do the same thing. I end up collecting too much stuff and then I have to throw it out later..Sometimes I give it to the local pre-school as they make crafts with it.
So many great recycling tips for people to use. I used to love collecting cans when I was younger to exchange them for money.
Can you tell me who can buy shoes, cans and other clothing materials for recycling.