11 Common Kitchen Items You Should Repurpose & Reuse Instead Of Tossing

Kitchens see a lot of use throughout the day, whether you're whipping up a delicious dinner, tackling the pile of dishes in the sink, or digging through your cabinets on the hunt for a midnight snack. Because of this, it's important to keep them clean and organized. Between tossing out food scraps, clearing out packaging, and getting rid of old items, however, most people produce a lot of kitchen trash. While it's certainly better to get rid of the things that are unnecessary in your space than to hold on to them for no reason, it's important to be mindful of how much waste you produce in an effort to reduce your negative environmental impact — and one way to do that is by repurposing these trash-destined items.

After taking stock of what you no longer need, it can be tempting to drop everything off at the thrift store or toss it in the garbage to get it off your hands. While this is certainly a quick and easy option, there's another choice that can allow you to both clean out clutter and create something new that you'll actually use, whether it's a new home for a plant or a convenient organizer. Upcycling is defined as modifying, altering, or finding a new use for something that would normally be considered trash. By taking your old and used kitchen items and transforming them into something new, you can reduce your waste, save some money, and enjoy a creative project.

Glass jars add a bit of extra luxury to store-bought food items, but they can be used for many more reasons than their original intended purpose. If the lid to your glass jar is still in good condition, use it to store dry goods in your pantry so they're visible, accessible, and sealed. If you notice that the seal isn't quite as strong as it used to be, however, you can also use glass jars as drinking glasses, vessels to propagate plants, and as desk or countertop organization. After you remove the sticky label, you're ready to repurpose.

Food storage containers are an absolute necessity if you meal prep or hang on to leftovers, but it's incredibly common to end up with lost or damaged lids, especially if they're made of flimsy plastic. When you're decluttering, go through your cabinet and pair all of your containers up with the matching lids. Instead of tossing the singles, try giving them a second life somewhere else in your space as an organizer. Food containers can make for fantastic under counter and drawer organizers, especially if they already have segmented sections.

The towels in your kitchen likely started out looking fresh and clean, but after using them to constantly dry dishes and wipe your hands, they've probably seen better days. While they might no longer be suited for display, this doesn't mean that their life has to be over. Instead, use your worn kitchen towels as rags for cleaning. Even if they don't look the best, they can still be used to wipe down surfaces, get a streak-free shine on windows, and clean up messes. After you're done cleaning, toss them in the washer and use them again and again.

While it's often our first instinct to toss out food containers right after use, many of the materials used to package these items are much more durable than you would expect at first glance. Of course, flimsy plastic wrappers and thin cardboard boxes likely won't do you much good if you're looking for long-term functionality, but higher-quality packaging like tins can be repurposed. Tea tins, cookie tins, and even tin cans can be used for storage, organization, or as a creative vessel if you're interested in learning how to make your own soy candles.

There are plenty of seed starting hacks that can help to lower your spending on gardening supplies and make use of items you already own, but this egg carton trick is one of the most convenient. Fill each section of your egg carton with soil to keep the roots separated, plant your seeds, add some water, and keep them in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight. Once your seedlings sprout and you're ready to plant, you can cut down the egg carton for easy removal, so you're less likely to damage their delicate roots.

Many people don't consider this, but aluminum foil can actually be washed and reused multiple times. As long as you're delicate with your handling and avoid causing accidental rips or slash marks, you can repurpose it without issue. If your piece of foil has deteriorated a bit too much, however, you can also use it in a few other ways around the kitchen. Place it in a saucepan with some water and baking soda to clean your silverware, crumble it up and use it to scrub burnt-on grease, or toss a ball into your dryer to reduce static.

The flesh and juice of citrus fruits might carry all of the delicious flavor, but the peels actually hold a significant amount of the fruit's fragrance. If you've just enjoyed an orange or used a lemon in a recipe, hold on to those peels instead of trashing them. You can make a homemade natural citrus spray to deodorize your fridge with the addition of some water and vinegar. You can also boil the peels in some water to spread the fragrance through your kitchen, or toss them down the garbage disposal while it's running for a boost of citrusy freshness.

Making your coffee at home is a great way to save some money, but it can feel wasteful to toss out such a large quantity of grounds after brewing a pot or pulling a shot of espresso. These grounds might have been drained of the majority of their flavor, but they can still be useful around your home and garden. Mix them into soaps if you need a bit of extra scrubbing power, add them to your compost pile with the rest of your food scraps, or sprinkle them straight into soil to add some beneficial nutrients.

Disposable cups, whether they're paper or plastic, aren't the best choice if you're looking to be environmentally friendly, but sometimes, convenience wins out. If you're looking for a way to still minimize your impact, however, you can actually reuse these cups multiple times. Plastic cups can be washed and used again for the same job, but they can also come in handy if you need something to mix up paint, resin, or glue for DIY or crafting projects. By using something disposable again, you can extend its life without worrying about staining or damaging your actual cups.

Wine brands are known for getting creative with their label and bottle designs, so if you have a bottle that you love the look of or that's leftover from a special occasion, consider repurposing it in a functional and fashionable way rather than tossing it. Upcycling wine bottles as décor is nothing new, so if you have an idea in mind, there's sure to be a tutorial for it online. Some simple ideas include using your bottle as a candle holder, cutting it down to make cocktail glasses, or using it as a flower vase for thinner stems.

Large plastic jars that hold nonperishables are designed to last for a while, so once you've finished off your peanut butter, it's likely that your jar is still in pretty good shape. Give it a good clean with some powerful dish soap to help cut through any leftover oily residue, let it dry, then consider how you might want to repurpose it. These jars can be used for easy craft organization, as food storage containers, as a simple vase for flowers, or even as a makeshift shaker if you need something to combine dressing or cocktail ingredients.