Many of us probably know by now that we ought to care about the environment, right? But no matter how ecologically friendly and active we are, there’s always room for improvement! Sometimes, all it takes is one good idea to open our minds to new possibilities.
The ‘Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose!’ online group is a popular community on Facebook that invites people to share their best eco-friendly and DIY projects and ideas. We’ve collected some of the most inspiring and creative ones to share with you today, Pandas. Scroll down, upvote your faves, and remember—every tiny step matters when it comes to planet Earth.

#1 What A Great Idea For Repurposing Wellington Boots

Image credits: Ann Lucas

#2 Tic - Tac Containers To Save Seeds.. Cute Idea!

Image credits: Cathy Strom Ledford

#3 Don't Throw Away That Old Desk And Chair, Recycle Them Instead

Image credits: Creative Gardening Era

If more things end up getting recycled, reused, and repurposed instead of thrown away, that means fewer products are bought, transported, and made in factories. That, in turn, leads to less pollution, less energy and water consumed, and fewer greenhouse gasses produced.

Fewer resources get wasted while your average consumer saves money because they’re focusing on DIY, not shopping around. It’s a win for everyone who isn’t out to maximize their profits at any cost.

#4 My Dachshund ❤️ Made From Truck Sockets, Engine Parts, Galv Caps, Wire, Small Sockets, Nuts And Bolts

Image credits: Welded Wonders NSW Australia

#5 Log Cabin Home Transformation

Image credits: Midou Wlz

#6 A New Scarecrow In Town

Image credits: Connelly Chris

Recycling doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You have to invest in the right infrastructure for the whole project to come together. And that’s a bigger headache than you might think at first: it’s expensive and requires a mind-boggling amount of planning. Urging your local community to recycle more is fruitless if the materials don’t actually get recycled and just end up dumped in some secret faraway landfill.

Remember, you’re not just aiming to recycle plastic chocolate chip cookie containers and soda bottles—there are a ton of different materials that you need to account for. Among them are aluminum, cardboard, electronics, food waste, glass, steel, tires, paper, textiles, yard trimmings, and wood, as well as a range of plastic, polyethylene, and polypropylene containers.

#7 I Am 67 Years Old,and I Love To Give Makeovers To Beautiful Furniture.this Was Abandoned At The Place I Am Renting,got A Mirror And Now Is One Of Our Favorite Pieces

Image credits: Olga Hernandez

#8 A Great Way To Reuse And Recycle Wine Corks

Image credits: Caroline Mary Cameron

#9 Wondering What To Do With Those Old Legos

Image credits: Brian Esparza

Just as an example of the logistical complexity involved, the United States Environmental Protection Agency explains that there are 15 different types of recycling and other municipal solid waste infrastructure. These include material recovery facilities, anaerobic digesters, composting facilities, electronic recyclers, glass recycling facilities, glass secondary processors, and municipal solid waste landfills.

On top of those, you have metal, paper, plastic, textile, tire, and wood recycling facilities, as well as transfer stations and wood secondary processors. Each place needs specific machinery, technology, systems, and expertise to run properly.

#10 Step 1 Get Giant Beach Balls Step 2 Paint Eyes On Them Step 3 Place In Tree Facing Neighbors House

Image credits: Angel Jacobs

#11 Refinished This Old Drop Leaf

Image credits: Maria M. Epnett

#12 Turned This Old China Cabinet Into A Poison Dart Frog Habitat

You could do that for any type of lizard, snake, or any other pet you put in a tank/cage like hamsters, ferrets, and guinea pigs. It gives them a lot of room and makes a great conversation piece. Not to mention it looks awesome

Image credits: KM Bagley

Let’s assume for a moment that you’ve got all the recycling facilities set up. Now, you somehow need to convince the population that they should start recycling. It’s a complicated task, though. It essentially involves changing how people perceive their relationship with the environment, spending, and consumption.

#13 Another Bunch Of Cardboard And Colored Card Stock Strips Glued To A Piece Of A Once Amazon Box. No Paint Used

Image credits: Joe Faria

#14 A Basket That's Being Reused As A Hand Towel Shelf. It's Cheap, Simple, Charming, And Practical

Image credits: Alex Collins

#15 Got This Old Rusty Vintage Wrought Iron Chair For Free And Gave It Life

Image credits: Sharon Kingsley Valentini

Motivating someone to recycle (more) is as much a shift in a person’s mindset and philosophy as it is a physical act of separating your recycling and dumping it in the right container.

This involves cultivating more self-awareness while shopping and educating people about the impact their actions have on the environment. If you make the problem relatable and relevant, you’ll have more people on your side than by just appealing to some lofty, faraway goals.

#16 Upcycled Whisky Barrel Cat Bed

Image credits: Neill Sage

#17 Seaglass Art Made From An Old Window And Seaglass Collected By Me

Image credits: K.L. Crouse

#18 Bangkok, Thailand

Image credits: Graham Seal

First of all, you have to make recycling accessible and easy. The more difficult it is to do, the more people are not going to bother. So, you’ll have to set up lots of recycling containers and bins in people’s areas.

Few people are going to walk five minutes to throw out their bag o’plastic and paper if there’s a general waste bin a few seconds away from them. Meanwhile, you want everyone to have clear instructions about what they can and can’t recycle.

#19 For What Was My First Quilt I Think It Wasn't Bad, For My Younger Sister Who Is 13 Years Old, She Has Always Been Vain, Loves Dresses And The Color Pink, She Loved This Gift Made With Our Father's Old Ties

Image credits: Cow lover

#20 A Giant Spool, Now It’s Our Patio Table

Image credits: Kellie Mann-Gilpin

#21 After I Trim My Trees I Always Save The Branches. I Love To Make Rustic Trellises With Them

Image credits: Gloria Castellini

Next, you’ll want to offer shoppers alternatives to excessive plastic packaging and bags. If you ban plastic bags or make them more expensive than durable paper ones, you’ll change consumers’ habits by appealing to their sense of frugality. Nobody wants to pay more for something of similar quality.

At the same time, companies need to take their eco-friendly stances seriously: though packaging can help protect products, there are egregious examples that show how wasteful and anti-environment some businesses can be.

#22 My Older Brother Needed A Back Rest For His New Walk In Tub That Would Not Restrict The Water Jets In The Back

So I ordered these mesh lumbar supports online, doubled them up for added strength, then mounted them to the tub with suction cup hooks from Dollar Tree. I more recently acquired an old office chair my neighbor was throwing out. The back is mesh with a more sturdy reinforced plastic frame.  I just have to figure out how to securely mount it then I’ll have a good replacement for the one in the photo. I think I’ll just use bigger suction cups mounted directly to the chair frame. I actually have some in mind that clamp down very securely

Image credits: Ernie Blue

#23 Here Is Something To Make If You Have Any Extra Lumber Laying Around

Image credits: Jan R Schmidt

#24 Repurposed 12 Cans Of Paint. Still Have Paint In Cans. Didn't Want To Leave It Outside To Freeze And Needed A Table. Put A Round Glass On Top

Image credits: DeEtta Phelps

The Facebook group has a huge following from all over the world. Currently, 1.5 million internet users are members of this community. The core idea is for folks to share useful information about reusing, recycling, and repurposing things to inspire others to do the same.

If you feel motivated to join the group, all you have to do is answer a few simple questions so that the administrator team running the whole thing knows you’re not a bot or a spammer. And in this day and age, that extra layer of verification goes a long way to keep any online community more authentic.

#25 A Border Collie Made From Horse Shoes

Image credits: Plus DIY

#26 Colorful Mosaic Tree Of Life Round Wall Hanging Shelf Art

Image credits: Artesanía de madera

#27 Too Cute

Image credits: Carrie Latham-Puder

The R, R, and R admins urge everyone who joins the community to give more than they take. In short, the group isn’t the place for self-promotion, sales, or spam: the content and discussions have to be on-topic.

Meanwhile, all the members are expected to treat each other respectfully and with kindness. It’s only natural to have heated debates once in a while (this is social media, after all!), but this doesn’t mean that politeness can be yeeted out of the window entirely.

#28 So After Two Years Of Searching, I Finally Found My Cowboy Tub And Could Make The Coffee Table For My Front Porch Swing

Image credits: Cow lover

#29 My Garden Is Going To S@#t!!

Image credits: Steve Walter

#30 There Was A Post With Someone Wanting To Know What To Do With Bottle Caps? I Did A Splash Back For My Daughter's Tiny House With Beer Bottle Tops

In between the gaps l put in tiny treasures she had as a little girl. The tiny house was a horse float.

Image credits: Dawn Duncan-Smith

Which of the R, R, and R ideas in this post caught your attention the most, dear Pandas? Which ones do you plan on replicating at home? What do you personally think we could all do to motivate people to recycle, reuse, and repurpose things more? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

#31 I've Always Wanted To Build A Castle With My Oatmeal And Pringle Containers

Image credits: bryanwiveshomestead

#32 Not Only Was This A Fun Project To Do With My Tractor Loving Son He Absolutely Loves It

Image credits: Suzanne Byrne

#33 For A While I Was Recycling Wine Bottles Into Wind Chimes

Image credits: Patricia Bates

#34 Here's The Great Seat My Clever Husband, Graham, Made From An Old Timber Bed That Had Been Put Out On The Kerb For Council Pickup

It sat in the garage for months because I couldn't bear to think of it going to landfill and eventually he said, "What ARE you doing with that bed?!" I asked if we might cut the end in half and use it to make arms for a bench seat. We have since added cushions and it's my favourite spot to curl up with a book. Someone suggested painting it white, but I just love the look of old timber

Image credits: Meg McGowan

#35 I Used Exterior House Paint To Hand Paint It And It’s Still Holding On Strong. It Is Surprisingly One Of My Favorite Additions To Our Yard Especially Since I’m Terrified Of Snakes

Image credits: Lola Snyder

#36 Old Candle Chandelier Turned Onto Hummingbird Buffet

Image credits: Mae Anjie Bordonaro

#37 We Love To Junk Hunt. So When My Creative Guy Found This Old TV Being Thrown Out He Grabbed It

Image credits: Sharon Robinson

#38 This T-Shirt Quilt Was Made With My College T-Shirts Repurposed

I had not worn them for a very long time and did not want to throw them away or donate them. The purple fabric and the back of the quilt was leftover fabric my Mom had. My Mom sews and has lots of leftover fabric from various projects. My Mom made this quilt for me and gave it to me for my birthday 5 years ago

Image credits: Margaret Griffiths Kent

#39 I Got This Vintage Stepstool Chair For Free From Someone Who Was Throwing It Out. Restored It To Its Original Red And Used Marine-Grade Vinyl For The Seat So It Should Last For Years

Image credits: Jennifer Stewart

#40 Creative Decorating Ideas

Image credits: Plus DIY

#41 I Ran Into This And Picked Up The Photo

Image credits: Jennie Johnstone

#42 Vintage Glassware & Vintage Window Together Are Reused To Make A Garden Suncatcher Window

Image credits: Gloria Perez

#43 A Planter I Put Together

Image credits: Everything Vintage and Strange

#44 Project: Been Working On Turning Bowls And Vases To Mushrooms

Image credits: Karen Rollins

#45 Re-Used Pallets And Fencing Mesh

Image credits: Vicki Combridge

#46 This Antique Wine Rack Works Really Well As A Hand Towel Holder

Image credits: Life Hacks

#47 Made With Buttons, Jewelry, Monopoly Pieces, Old Lace And Other Odds And Ends

Image credits: Teresa Fiel Hennes

#48 When The Music Store You Work For Is Cleaning Out Old Drum Stick Fixtures And Your Wife Crochets, Viola! Yarn Storage!

Image credits: Joseph Seamer

#49 Great Idea. I Will Start Collecting Pretty Leaves This Fall

Image credits: L and L Green Thumb Project

#50 I Use An Old Shower Shelf Above The Kitchen Sink To Ripen My Veggies. I Am Pretty Proud Of It, Even If It Is A Little High For Me

Image credits: Alanna Owenby

#51 I Made This Table From Leftover Flooring And A Pallet

Image credits: Al DiMasi

#52 Old Bunt Cake Pan As Plant Pot

Image credits: Beverley Lynne Harris

#53 My Boys Are Getting Their Own Rooms And I’m On A Shoestring Budget. They Are Entering Their Moody Preteens And Want Dystopian Gamer Cyberpunk Type Of Rooms

One thing my youngest wanted was a toxic waste barrel (I didn’t ask, but I bet it has to do with video games). So this is his new bedside table. The barrel I got for free, and I had just enough leftover grey paint. He is over the moon about it. There will be a secret trap door for storage in the back made with leftover hinges and latches I’ve been saving from another project we cannibalized

Image credits: Mercy Fritz

#54 Bird Feeder Quick Fix. Free The B**bs, Feed The Birds!

Image credits: L and L Green Thumb Project

#55 Before And After

Image credits: Linda Thompson

#56 Old Screen Door With An Old Spoon For Handle Going Into My Laundry Room ,also Helps Air Circulate Better.plus Love The Squeak Noise

Image credits: ChristineBarry Saunders

#57 This Was My Project Yesterday. I Like The Way It Turned Out So Much I Might Keep It Although It Was My Intention To Sell It

Image credits: Beth Coleman

#58 My First Project, Forgot To Take Pic Of The Two Bedside Tables Before Joining Them

Image credits: Kylie Marie

#59 A Metal Grinder,tap And Dye,the Right Thread Bolts,and A Few Hooks Voila! A Key Rack

Image credits: Gram Cracker

#60 Those TV Dinner Bowls Make Great Steam And Splatter Covers For Reheating Stuff In The Microwave

Image credits: Ernie Blue

#61 She Needs A Name!! Lol!!

Image credits: Candice Fields

#62 Amazing Idea

Image credits: So Thearo Him

#63 I’d Be Honest: The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Surface Works Around The House Is To Make A Resin Sheet Like This

Image credits: Brooke Ingram Smith

#64 Re-Purposed This Clear Plastic Umbrella Into A Mini Greenhouse To Protect The Vegetable Plants From Rabbits

Image credits: Robin Shugar

#65 Beautiful Family!! “Key To My Heart” Scrap Metal Welding Art

Image credits: Welded Wonders NSW Australia

#66 A Great Way To Recycle All The Weekly Ads And Your Junk Mail. Homemade Fire Bricks

I shred the paper soak it in a bucket of water then I have a circular saw blade welded to a piece of rebar. I use that with a drill to churn the paper to a pulp. Put in a brick press to squeeze the water out

Image credits: Melissa Gillmore

#67 I Repurposed This Smoking Stand That Belonged To My Grandparents. The Label Under It Reads 1928

Image credits: Vicki Owens Sutphin

#68 My Pond: Lost My Porch To A Tornado Three Years Ago, I Wouldn’t Let My Husband Get Rid Of My Posts

Image credits: Chelsea Briel Reese

#69 Check Out This Before & After Transformation! I Used Accent’s Urban Myth Low Sheen Black Paint, And I Couldn’t Be Happier With The Results

Image credits: Life Hacks

#70 Got This For Free, But It Needed A Little Up Grade

Image credits: Nikki Sharp