Surplus of waste is becoming a bigger and bigger problem locally and globally with each passing day. The UN estimates that every year humans generate up to 2.3 billion tons of municipal solid waste. Waste pollution is becoming a serious problem, as around 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection.

That’s why we should all do our (however tiny) part in trying to reduce global waste, so we’ve compiled some ideas for you, zero-waste Pandas. From tips and tricks you can use at home to creative ideas in restaurants, supermarkets, and small businesses, we’ve got it all covered. Scroll down and see some ideas on how you can be a little kinder to the planet, one upcycled item at a time.

#1 I Work At A Travel Agency, And When We Have To Get Rid Of Our Outdated Maps, I Reuse Them As Wrapping Paper

Image credits: reddit.com

#2 A Coconut Repurposed As A Salt Container That Has Been In My Family For Over 20 Years

Image credits: MarsNirgal

#3 Upcycling Tip: A Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Container Makes A Great Mini Greenhouse

Image credits: Levangeline

#4 An Old TV Was Repurposed Into A Cat Bed For My Cat’s Birthday

Image credits: BrewCoven

#5 You Can Plant This Calendar Because It’s Made From Recycled Paper

Image credits: purutiger

#6 I Patched A Large Hole In My Favorite Overalls Today

Image credits: twin_weenis

#7 A Small Local Movie Theater Uses Reusable Metal Bowls For Popcorn

Image credits: stevieisbored

#8 You Can Grow Loofahs, Dry Them And Use Them To Wash Dishes. 5 Plants Make Enough For About 2 Years In Our House. Fully Biodegradable When They’re Worn Out

Image credits: scavenger_hobo

#9 My Dad Built A Greenhouse Out Of Piles Of Random Stuff He’s Been Saving – Old Windows, Bits Of Flooring, Recycled Straightened Nails, And Off-Cuts Of Steel Roofing

Image credits: rnords

#10 I Made A Bag Out Of Tags

Over 500 tags used, with two fully adjustable straps that can link together to create a longer strap. The tag for the bag is also a smaller bag made of tags.

Image credits: Educational_Target56

#11 A Local Shop Gives Leafy Parts From Vegetables That Most People Don’t Eat To Pets For Free

Image credits: nixass

#12 First Time Using Food Scraps To Make Broth

Image credits: sisulumme

#13 Old Hair Brush? Attach It To A Leg Of A Chair For Your Cat To Rub On

Image credits: ramblingroze

#14 Upcycled A Broken Bed Frame

Image credits: RayceC

#15 My Weekend Project Was Making Use Of A Broken Pot

Image credits: pmolina12

#16 Reusing The Kids’ Playhouse As A Catio

Our kids are getting older and we were facing the need to get rid of their playhouse. We also have a cat that likes the outside but gets himself into trouble. We gave away the slides and swings (the cat didn’t enjoy those aspects) and kept the main house to turn it into a catio. The cat loves it and we didn’t have to buy anything besides the wire and door hooks to convert it.

Image credits: Redaerkoob

#17 Repurposed Pallets For A Raised Bed. $9 Total, Spent On Fasteners And Hardware, With Half Left Over

Image credits: italianmick1

#18 I Make Planters Out Of Old License Plates

Image credits: 3q49gh9q34

#19 A Roll Of “Unpaper” Towels I Made For Our Kitchen

Image credits: Mewe95

#20 Our Brand New Bed Broke. I Salvaged The Wood, And Turned It Into A Planter

Image credits: reddit.com

#21 Thoroughly Enjoyed Loading Produce Into This Crochet Drawstring Bag Instead Of The Plastic One. Hope These Become More Popular

Image credits: supurrrnova

#22 At The End Of Every Year I Have A Bunch Of Notes And Books From School, So This Year I Recycled Them Into More Paper

I probably used about 30 sheets of notes to make these 15 pieces of paper. They’re surprisingly sturdy too.

Image credits: nerdofexistence

#23 Turned My Old Bath Loofa Into Produce Bags

Image credits: drapjo

#24 My Local Coffee Shop Uses Old Milk Cartons As Takeaway Trays

Image credits: catdust

#25 My Grandma Made Her Shopping Bag Out Of Plastic Shopping Bags

Image credits: Icantthinkofaname678

#26 This Toilet’s Cistern Fills Using A Tap And Sink, So You Can Wash Your Hands With No Waste

Image credits: herzeleid22

#27 The Components For My New Vacuum Are All Packaged In Paper Instead Of Plastic

Image credits: ChewbaccaExMachina

#28 My Coffee Cup Is Edible. Tastes A Bit Like A Tough Ice Cream Cone, But Overall It Was Pleasant To Eat

Image credits: lethalsmoky

#29 My Neighbor Used Plastic Bottles To Create Miniature Greenhouses

Image credits: corgems

#30 Neighbor Built This Neat Greenhouse Out Of Salvaged Windows And Doors

Image credits: kazzmere

#31 Someone On My Street Put Two Twin Bed Frames On The Curb. I Made One Into A Trellis

Image credits: briskiejess

#32 A Local Soapmaker Sells Miscellaneous Or Broken Pieces Of Soap Without Packaging At A Discount. It’s Perfect For Trying Out New Scents

Image credits: CharmingtheCobra

#33 Mom Ordered A New Blanket, I Needed A Mini Greenhouse Type Container To Keep My Calathea Humid. Perfect? No, But Saved The Plastic From The Trash, And I Get To Give It A New Purpose

Image credits: santanotsatan69

#34 Old And Broken Window Blinds Turned Into Plant Markers

Image credits: llcoolbreath

#35 Neighbors Threw Away A Book Case. I Took It, Drilled Some Drainage Holes, Snagged The Towns Free Compost And Now I Have A Place For 20 Pepper Plants

Image credits: waldo06

#36 I Make Pots For Plants From Old Paper And Cardboard

Image credits: yokoszwengier

#37 I’m A Quilter Who Saves Every Scrap. I Made This Dumbledore Quilt Using All Of The Tiny Scraps From My Stash

Image credits: exhaustedoctopus

#38 I Took A Friend’s Thesis Poster That Was Printed On Fabric And Turned It Into A Weekender Bag He Can Use

Image credits: gloryallan

#39 Upcycled A Broken Cable Spool From Work Into A Climbing Toy For Our New Kitten, Lady Sif

Image credits: derekghs

#40 This Supermarket Had Tiny Paper Bags Instead Of Plastic Containers To Reduce Waste

Image credits: treanegno

#41 I Made Reusable Swiffer Pads! I Have Three Cats And A Dog, And I Get So Tired Of Buying Those Ridiculously Expensive Dusting Pads To Get Up All The Pet Hair

Image credits: HallahFin

#42 My Mom Always Wraps Birthday Presents In Maps

Many years ago, my Granddad worked in a paper factory. My mom visited his workplace in 1994 to shoot a film there. They had thousands of excess sheets of maps that had been printed that were going to be thrown out, so she took enough that we still get our main presents wrapped in them all these years later.

Image credits: conversationchanger

#43 An Edible Coffee Cup Made From Oats And Grains

Image credits: Str33twise84

#44 These Chairs Made From Old Fire Hoses, Near A Fire Station

Image credits: i_heart_carrot

#45 My Coffee Shop Puts Ground Coffee In Their Planters

Image credits: truthgoblin

#46 My Local Cafe Uses Old Milk Containers As Cup Holders

Image credits: Cognac_Clinton

#47 This Honey Container From My Hotel Breakfast Buffet Is Edible

Image credits: Tanakaaa1998

#48 Been Buying Whole Chickens And Whole Veggies Instead Of Pre-Cut And Bagged Ones. Saved The Bones And Scraps For 3 Months In The Freezer And Decided To Make Chicken Stock

Image credits: Snow_chaser

#49 I Have Had The Same Laundry Basket My Entire Life. One Of The Handles Has Been Cracking More And More For A Few Years. Rather Than Buy A New One, I Made A Crochet Handle To Hold It Together

Image credits: bifalif

#50 The Restaurant I’m Eating At Has Etch-A-Sketches For Children Instead Of Wasteful Paper Menus Or Coloring Pages And Crayons

Image credits: clambakefortwo

#51 It Isn’t A Lot, But Me And My Girlfriend Stopped Buying Paper Towels

Image credits: dillrit

#52 I Was About To Throw Away Some Buttons, Single Earrings, And Broken Necklace Parts, But Turned Them Into DIY Cards Instead

Image credits: okaysnowflake

#53 Repurposed An Old Diaper Box Into A Bookcase For My Son

Image credits: kellyc0417

#54 This Was A Really Fun Upcycling Project And Saved A Fortune On Glass Jars For My Pantry Shelves

Image credits: Instahome_uk

#55 Grabbed A Trader Joe’s Popcorn Tin Out Of The Trash, Poked Drainage Holes, And Made It Into A Planter

Image credits: Greenthumbgeek

#56 Made From A Very Worn Men’s Shirt That Was Headed To The Landfill

Image credits: reddit.com

#57 I Found Myself Buying Makeup Removing Wipes Every Few Weeks, But No More. With Fabric Remnants, An Old Hand Towel, And A Few Hours Of My Time, I’m Saving Money And The Planet

Image credits: RhbJ04

#58 Flat Rock As A Soap Holder, Will Last A Lifetime And Beyond

Image credits: AntiSnoringDevice

#59 My Old Bed Frame Broke Into Pieces, So My Partner Helped Me Use The Pieces To Make A Planter

Image credits: denicajo

#60 Upcycled My Empty Aldi Candle Into A Planter

Image credits: the_kid_chino

#61 Had To Throw This Basket Out At Work Because The Side Had Split. I Asked My Boss If I Could Have It And She Said Sure, So With A Little Ribbon It’s Fixed

Image credits: byronfayy

#62 I Turned A Ripped Sheet Into Reusable Disinfecting Wipes And “Unpaper” Towels. Stored In Containers I Already Had

Image credits: poodlenancy

#63 Made My Own Solid Shampoo And Conditioner

Image credits: marinelight

#64 I Made Shelves Using Recycled Thrift Shop Speakers

Image credits: MuchoGrande

#65 Whenever I Get A Dish Sponge That Is Past Its Lifetime For Washing Dishes, I Always Cut It In Half And Then Retire Those Sponges For Household Cleaning Around The Dirty Areas

Image credits: IAmAPhysicsGuy

#66 Clever Way To Use Old Rags In This Hotel

Image credits: CommanderChotch

#67 My Girlfriend Wrapped Her Christmas Presents In Fast Food Bags

Image credits: 14PulsarsV1

#68 This Paper Cup Has No Plastic Lid

Image credits: homerocda

#69 In An Effort To Have Less Water Waste, I Started Keeping This Pitcher On The Counter. Water From Leftover Drinks Goes In Here And Then I Use It To Water My Plants

Image credits: BeenCreepin

#70 Sometimes Cheap Frames Don’t Come With Hanging Hardware. Tin Can Lids Get The Job Done. Learned This Trick From My High School Art Teacher

Image credits: blabbitygabbity

#71 Using Old Liquor Bottles To Serve Water At Restaurants

Image credits: oceanhigh

#72 It’s Always Package-Free If You Grow It Yourself

Image credits: errrizabethh

#73 Shout-Out To Everyone Who Washes And Reuses Their Food Storage Bags

Image credits: fakeplastictrees81

#74 Upcycled Kitchen. Cabinets And Countertops Are Built From Our Own Floorboards, Doors From Old Windows, And Countertops From Tile Scraps

Image credits: noellysmelly

#75 My Wife Took Seeds From Our Fruits And Vegetables Last Month Then Used Some Old Milk Jugs And Egg Cartons To Start A Little Indoor Garden

Image credits: ChrisAngel0

#76 My Aunt Requested Crochet Face Scrubbies To Replace Cotton Pads. She Asked For 24, So I Put Them In A Repurposed Candle Container

Image credits: jenntones

#77 Sewed These Beach Bags Using My Old Shower Curtain Instead Of Throwing It Out

Image credits: PatchH95

#78 Resealable Cans At My Local Shop In The UK

Image credits: mchickenl

#79 Repurposed Two Clear Pouches From A Recent Pillowcase Purchase To Store My Stationery

Image credits: nicoleduret

#80 I Work At A Hospital Where Employees Eat Every Day With Plastic Utensils. My Solution: Fork And Spoon In An Old Pencil Case

Image credits: yellow_ducks

#81 Our Local Supermarket Makes Juice Out Of Unsold Fruits. Literally Zero Waste

Image credits: EduKehakettu

#82 My Bank Uses An Eco-Friendly Envelope That You Can Put In The Ground, And The Flower Seeds Within The Paper Will Grow

Image credits: HandsUpNL

#83 My Neighbor Fixed His Trash Bin Rather Than Ordering A New One From The City

Image credits: cloudfoot3000

#84 Instead Of Styrofoam Peanuts, This Package Came With Cardboard Pyramids

Image credits: Insipid86

#85 Carlsberg Beers Glued Together With Environmentally Friendly Glue To Reduce Waste

Image credits: Away_Acanthisitta_97

#86 This Is Brilliant

Image credits: chloegeogh

#87 My Parents Have Been Refilling This Bottle Of Sunlight Dish Soap For 25 Years

Image credits: croasty

#88 My Milk Bottle This Morning Really Shows The Power Of The “Reuse” Part Of The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Principle

Image credits: FelicityHannah

#89 Made A Fox From Old Clothes. The Filling Is Made From Shredded Scrap Fabrics

Image credits: divaivet

#90 Didn’t Want To Waste A Perfectly Good Rice Bag

Image credits: skelezombie

#91 Brown Paper Grocery Bags Make Excellent Wrapping Paper For Gifts

Image credits: knowledgesurfer

#92 About 6 Years Ago I Ditched Paper Towels And Switched To Cotton Shop Towels. I Bought 150 Off Amazon For About $30. They Have Been Life-Changing For Staying Frugal And Eco-Conscious

I keep a bin in my kitchen to separate these out and wash when full with hot water, detergent and bleach.

Image credits: King-Anonymous

#93 I Made A Tote Bag Out Of A Canvas Print Someone Threw Away

Image credits: crazycrayola

#94 My Father Recycled An Old Plastic Ketchup Bottle Into A Shampoo Dispenser For His Shower

Image credits: Will-FLO

#95 Any Time I Get Sealed Air Bags I Make A Slit On One Side To Put My Hand Through And Pick Up My Puppy’s Waste. I Do This For Almost All Packaging I Receive

Family thinks I’m frugal, I just like to think I’m helping the environment. Saving money is a plus too.

Image credits: DamaNani

#96 My Hotel Room Requires That You Insert Your Keycard Once You Enter To Have Power, As A Way To Reduce Waste And Expenses

Image credits: vaporwavish

#97 My Local Foodland Has Bread Ties That Are Made Of Cardboard Instead Of Plastic. One More Small Step

Image credits: Phyierpickle

#98 Cardboard Rings For This Six-Pack Instead Of The Plastic Ones

Image credits: thehow2dad

#99 My Local Coffee Shop Reuses Milk Containers As Carrying Trays

Image credits: TimsAFK

#100 When You Forget Your Reusable Bag, But Remember To Bring Your Wife

Image credits: en-ron_hubbard

#101 I Turned An Empty Ink Pot Into A Mini Scented Beeswax Candle

Image credits: alicemalice12

#102 Holiday Wrapping Paper Made With Grocery Bags And Colored Pencils

Image credits: nkl5483

#103 Realized Today That I Have Used This Filter From A Broken Coffee Maker Almost Every Day For Years Now

It is a lifesaver for rinsing lentils, beans and rice, perfect for straining homemade broths and is a champ at making large batches of sun tea, just to name a few uses.

Image credits: petuniathebox

#104 Shower Shelf Made From Collected Takeout Chopsticks And Raffia Cord That Came With Valentine’s Day Flowers

Image credits: ncharles3

#105 My Glass Measuring Cup Fell And Shattered. Instead Of Buying A New One, I Started Using An Old Pasta Sauce Jar

I also double-checked with a friend’s measuring cup to make sure it’s accurate. It is!

Image credits: dizyalice

#106 My Wife Put Giant Googly Eyes On Our Trash Can As A Joke, But It’s Actually Working For Our Zero Waste Goals. Now I Feel Shame Every Time I Toss Something, It Looks Horrified

Image credits: awfultwatwaffle

#107 Instead Of Carving Pumpkins I Started To Draw On Them With A Marker. I Can Still Use Them For Cooking After

Image credits: MadLyne11

#108 Used The Crate My Shower Door Came In To Make Some Shelves

Image credits: marky294201

#109 An Environmentally Friendly New York Fries Cup With A Built-In Lid 

Image credits: catl0vingnerd

#110 These Chips Are Made From Rejected Potatoes To Reduce Landfill Usage

Image credits: RoyalOreo99

#111 Noticed Cardboard Hangers Instead Of Plastic Ones While Working On My Shift

Image credits: reddit.com

#112 A Supplier Of Ours Now Fills His Packages With Air Cushions Made Out Of Paper Instead Of Plastic

Image credits: zusakipcg

#113 I Found Another Way To Reuse And Reduce With These Cardboard Boxes

Image credits: thesismythirdaccount

#114 Instead Of Buying Plastic Bobbins For My Embroidery Thread, I Cut Up Cardboard And Takeout Containers

Image credits: BigfootBish59

#115 Repurposing A Damaged Frying Pan. With A Bit Of Paint It’s Now A Cool Decorative Bowl

Image credits: c00kiem0nster24

#116 My Starbucks Hot Chocolate Lid Came Apart And Revealed A Reused Car Wax Container That Had A Printing Error

Image credits: pigeonholepundit