So, you want to be a minimalist. You want to consume more intentionally. You want to only keep objects that spark joy and buy products that support your sustainable journey. You want to abandon all responsibilities and escape to the wilderness in pursuit of a simpler, more eco-friendly life. Us too!

But there’s a question we’ve been bouncing back and forth lately: is minimalism actually good for the environment? On (recycled) paper, sure. But not if it means chucking out everything but the kitchen sink. Homes get emptier, landfill gets landfuller (yes that’s a word we just made up, pass it on).

Like straws, our modern way of minimalism sucks. Specifically the kind of minimalism that just means getting rid of everything you own, which is bad for the planet. So instead of filling up landfill in a quest to live a more minimal life, let’s find ways to reuse our preloved objects and reduce our eco-anxiety at the same time. Because one person’s trash is truly that same person’s treasure.

What to do with your...

Denim jeans from 2010

It’s summer somewhere. Get snipping and turn your skinny jeans into shorts. Cut them at the knee, the thigh or even at the calf – it’s the season for shpants!

Outdated console/armchair/desk

Outdated furniture? Oh the wonders a fresh paint job can do. Broken furniture? We’ve seen people flip desks into bedside tables, coffee tables into swings and armchairs into… better armchairs. But if you’re feeling more savvy, less scrappy, then pop it up on Facebook Marketplace.

Broken photo frame

Any broken object is just an art project waiting to happen! When the glass in our lawyer Kate’s frame broke, she found more than shards on the table: she discovered an opportunity.

Half-empty skincare bottles

You’ve got your top shelf. And then you’ve got your bottom shelf. That’s where the forgotten serums, unused bath gel and dandruff shampoo lives. Squeeze out any residue of the old and expired, properly clean the vessels then go forth and repurpose! Turn pretty jars to plant flowers, use shampoo bottles for storage or just hold on to your empties for travelling… one day.

Cracked plates and saucers

We love the thought of giving used plates a new life as bird baths. Or turning your cracked plates into garden markers for your herbs. We’ve also been learning about the Japanese art of Kintsugui, which means “to join with gold.” It’s a traditional and beautiful practice of joining pieces of broken pottery back together that embraces the imperfections.

That book you never got around to reading

Instead of throwing out all your books on minimalism, stack them and use them as a bedside table, a plinth, or a plant stand! Donating them is also always an option. Oh the irony. 

There you have it. A few ideas for how to reuse in an effort to live not only a more minimal life, but a more eco-friendly and happier one too. 

Drop a comment below to let us know what crafty eco-minimalist behaviours you’ve been getting up to, or tag us in them on social @whogivesacraptp.