With tonnes of waste going to landfills each year, it’s best to rethink our rubbish. In this year’s kerbside collection for Fortitude Valley (20 January 2020), help reduce landfill waste by upcycling your large unwanted household items instead of throwing them away.
Large household items in usable condition can be donated to charities and tip shops. But if you can’t let go of an item, probably because it has sentimental value or you feel guilty about getting rid of something from someone you love, better reuse it. Here are the best upcycling ideas to turn your old stuff into something new and useful:
Washing Machine Drum into a Coffee Table
Art studio L’Atelier d’Orel took the spinning drum from an unrepairable washing machine and made it into a nice coffee table. If you have an old washer sitting around, you can have it converted into a table. Here’s an instruction on how you can create one yourself from home.
Bicycle into Garden Decoration
Do you have a worn-out bike that you can’t simply throw away because it lasted you for so many years and it reminds you of your first cycling years? Give it a new life by painting it with something bright like pink or yellow to match your greenery. It’s an easy DIY project that only takes a few minutes to do.
Computer Case into Dispenser
There is a lot you can create from an old computer case, like turning it into a mailbox or maybe as a planter. All it takes is creativity, like Nick Pelis of The Mod Zoo who turned his computer case into a coffee maker. Or if you have an old keyboard, why not create a pen holder out of it? Some people even manage to come up with a bookshelf out of it–the possibilities are endless!
Old Fan into Candle Holder
Don’t know what to do with your old ceiling fan lights? Why not try making some candle holders using those old fan light covers? This one uses a pine board that serves as a base. You will only need a few tools to get started, like a jigsaw, hammer and nails, hole saw accessory and wood glue. Here’s a tutorial from Thrift Diving on how to upcycle ceiling fan lights into a candle holder.
Kerbside Collection in Fortitude Valley
For general information about bin collections, Council’s waste facilities, recycling tips and myths, install the Brisbane bin and recycling app on your mobile device. The app features a bin collection calendar for Brisbane residents, with a notification option to remind you when your bins will be collected as well as push notifications about your next kerbside collection service.
