20 Apr • 3 min Read
Are you trying to save money or looking for an eco-friendly hobby?
Forget bargain hunting and try keeping your own waste! And no, we don’t mean jumping into a dumpster – we mean saving items you plan to throw away and transforming them into a new piece you can love.
With many skip bins scattered around Sydney, we often see fairly decent items and materials that could have been saved. While we usually take these items back to our own recycling yard to be reused where possible, we do encourage others to make the most of their waste before they chuck it out.
If you get crafty, you could achieve some great pieces from what you would consider trash.
Don’t believe us? Keep these three R’s – reuse, repair, refurbish – in mind next time you see a skip bin up the road!
Reuse materials and objects
At Matt’s Skip Bins, if there is one thing we are passionate about other than top customer service, it’s recycling and reusing. While we are more than happy to take your items to be recycled at our very own recycling yard on-site, we also encourage you to do it yourself.
Many people figure once an item is no longer needed, it’s basically the end of the line for that particular object.
However, that isn’t necessarily the case! Many household items and objects can be reused or repurposed.
This is especially true for materials and objects both in and outside the home. Good examples of this include:
- Bed linen and sheets: reused for painting drop sheets or pet beds.
- Old office containers: reused for storage purposes under beds and in closets.
- Renovation waste: reused for future landscaping purposes.
- Excess dirt and rocks: reused for future landscaping needs.
- Extra wood and timber: reused to make storage shelving.
- Broken dishes and glass: repurposed for retiling, decorating or photo frames.
- Old tree branches: repurposed for decorating purposes.
- Christmas lights: repurposed as general outdoor decorations in the backyard.
Repair items
Did something break? Repair, repair, repair! Just because it is broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed.
In a world where most things are easily replaceable, people forget that an item doesn’t necessarily have to be replaced.
By repairing an item, you could save yourself money and the cost of a waste solution. While most objects are more than welcome in our rubbish skip, a few tweaks and fixes can save an item from early disposal and work as good as new.
So, if something breaks, check if it simply needs a part replaced. An excellent example of this is white appliances. As soon as a washing machine or dishwasher breaks down, it doesn’t mean it should suddenly be replaced and thrown into the skip bin!
Sometimes all an item needs is a new part – which can be much more cost-appropriate. It may be more frustrating to get it fixed, but it will work out better once everything is set.
Refurbish furniture
Are you going for a new style in your home? Wait – don’t throw out your old furniture yet!
Just because you have dated furniture that isn’t the style you have in mind – doesn’t it mean it can’t be restyled to your liking. With some TLC, you can save money on restoring your old furniture, rather than chucking it away and going to buy brand new pieces!
Just like car restorations, you can savour the good bones of a decently built piece of furniture that you spent a decent amount of money on back in the day by giving it a new look.
If you are good with tools and can get crafty, transform your waste into a treasured item you can continue using.
Adding additional features, replacing particular materials and giving it a repaint can make all the difference you need to provide it with a new purpose.
Not too skilled with tools? No stress. There are furniture restoration services around that can provide you with a fantastic finish suited to what you need.
Plus, the fee is more affordable than buying something new from the shops, which is a bonus!
Remember, next time you chuck something out, whether it is into your local council bin or one of our skip bins, check and see if the three R’s apply!
For more on our skip bin hire services in Sydney, visit our website, where you can order your skip bin online with just a few taps of a finger.
For any further questions, you can speak to our friendly team on 02 4708 2927.
