It’s April, and that means Earth Day! I am attempting to feature educational content on green living throughout this month, perhaps simple things that we kind of take for granted when it comes to the small steps that help us live more consciously in respect for the things we have been given.

Obviously, one thing we all need to do is reduce our waste. Did you know that according to Environmentalistseveryday.org, if we put all of the solid waste collected in the U.S. in a line of average garbage trucks, that line of trucks could cross the country, extending from NY to LA, more than 100 times?  I have recently been working with a company who has some great ideas on their Pinterest page devoted exclusively to “upcycling”, which is a buzzword for reusing items that would otherwise be thrown out.  Here are some favorite pins from that board:

Blue Jean Planters – Perfect way to extend the life of all those old jeans you have laying around!

Rain Boot Flower Pots – This just makes me happy!

Tank Top Tote – Easy way to turn your old tank in to a bag!

Easter Egg Slithering Snake – Don’t throw out those old Easter eggs!  Turn them in to a toy.

Placemat Basket – Don’t waste your money on buying storage baskets when you can easily make one from an old placemat.

Ketchup Bottle Pancake Mix Dispenser – Makes the perfect pancake!

Today’s word of the day is “upcycle”.

I know you’re probably on Pinterest too — what are your favorite ideas for upcycling? Have you tried any of them?