My grandmother always seems to find a new purpose for things when most would throw them away. Now, this may make her sound like a hoarder, but she does not buy as many new things as the average Californian because she is re-using old ones. Therefore, her carbon footprint in the "purchases" category is probably much lower than America's national average. Here are some of the ways she re-uses things and ways I came up with to have less waste:
- melted candle wax - she takes all of the leftover wax from her candles and melts them together to make her own new candle.
- Food waste - She composts her food scraps and uses the compost in her own garden. She also grows more food than she buys.
- Using re-usable water bottles is a very important thing because plastic bottles are becoming a huge problem polluting the ocean.
- Re-using old boxes - My grandmother keeps the boxes that she receives for packages and uses them whenever she needs a box.
- Old toothbrushes make great cleaning equipment!
- Old clothing can be used to make new items like cushion covers.

When you can't find  a good way to re-use a household item, always remember that over 80% of those items CAN BE recycled in some way, so don't just put them in the trash. Also, making a compost bin is a great idea! Always be sure to think before you throw something in the trash because more often than not, that's the wrong place for it.