An empty jug of dish soap might look like it's reached the end of its useful life — but that's not the case, according to one clever home gardener.
They posted a photo of their innovative solution in the subreddit r/upcycling. After thoroughly rinsing out the jug, they cut off the top and planted a houseplant in some soil in the bottom half.
While it wasn't the prettiest of plant containers, it didn't matter because their second photo showed that they stored the entire thing in a decorative hanging basket.
"Plastics headed for the recycling bin are my go-to for plant containers," they explained. And as it happened, this one was "oddly the perfect size for my plant holder."
Commenters were inspired by the clever repurposing. "Ingeniously brilliant!" one person complimented.
Another shared how they use milk jugs for the same purpose, both to propagate and trade plant cuttings with friends.
Upcycling is arguably the easiest, cheapest way to acquire new home items, and it's been surging in popularity as more consumers become aware of the economic and environmental expense of always buying new.
More and more influencers are sharing their hacks for simple upcycling projects, like making storage jars from old candles, creating seed starter kits from grocery store fruit containers, or mending clothes to give them a second life.
In addition to saving money, you can feel good about prolonging the life of materials that would otherwise go straight to the landfill — or worse, the oceans — where they leach toxic chemicals and physically endanger plants and wildlife.
The best part is that taking better care to reduce your individual consumption footprint doesn't just save you money — it can also earn you money. Several organizations give store credit or cash rewards for exchanging used goods.
For example, Trashie allows consumers to send in used textiles and shoes to be recycled in exchange for exclusive rewards and "Trashie Cash." Similarly, GlamBot accepts gently used beauty products, which they sanitize and resell in exchange for credit and discounts on their platform.
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