Where to Divert

Glass can be infinitely recyclable, but keeping jars and bottles in continuous reuse at home prevents the high energy costs of melting down raw materials. Before tossing clean glass jars into your blue bin, give them a second life:

• Pantry & Refill Storage: Perfect for storing homemade juices, cold brew, bulk spices, grains, or homemade salad dressings.
• DIY Self-Watering Planters: Clean a glass bottle, fill it with water, and insert it upside-down into soil to create a slow-drip hydration system for indoor houseplants or garden beds.
• Vases & Creative Crafts: Convert unique sauce or pickle jars into flower vases, pencil holders, candle lanterns, or propagation station displays for plant cuttings.
• Neighborhood Sharing: Clean jar collections are often welcomed by local jam makers, crafters, or neighbors in local Buy Nothing groups.

Textiles should never go into standard recycling bins, but even holy socks and threadbare shirts don’t need to head straight to a recovery bin. Try these quick home upcycling ideas first:

• Dusting & Floor Pads: Slip an old sock over your hand for an easy blind/furniture duster, or stretch a thick sock over your Swiffer or floor sweeper as a washable, reusable micro-fiber pad.
• DIY Pet Toys: Tie a knot in a clean, solitary sock (or pop a tennis ball/crinkly water bottle inside) to create an instant chew or toss toy. Let’s be honest—your dog was probably eyeing that sock on the floor anyway.
• Rags & Cleaning Cloths: Cut worn-out t-shirts, flannel shirts, or towels into square rags for bike chain maintenance, messy spills, or cleaning shoes.
• Heat Packs & Dryer Balls: Fill an un-holed cotton sock with raw rice, tie the end, and microwave for 30 seconds for a quick DIY heating pad.

We’ve all been there—you forget your bags once or twice, and suddenly your closet is overflowing with reusable totes. When you’ve collected more than you can possibly use, don’t throw them away. Pass them along:

• Donate to Food Banks & Food Pantries: Local food distribution hubs and mutual aid networks always need sturdy reusable totes so neighbors can carry groceries home.
• Creative Upcycling: Sew or fold extra canvas or synthetic totes into custom handbags, produce bags, outdoor planter liners, or storage organizers.
• Mail-In Bag Takeback (ChicoBag): Send surplus reusable bags directly to ChicoBag’s Pay-It-Forward Program. They rehome usable totes to people in need or partner with artists and recyclers to turn worn bags into brand-new products!

Beyond the daily essentials, there are lots of ways to meet your needs by buying secondhand, borrowing, renting, or swapping:

• Transportation – Car sharing, bike sharing, and scooter rental options abound in the District
• Clothing – Consult the Zero Waste DC Reuse Directory for a list of shops, or attend a SwapDC event
• Miscellaneous Goods – Join Trash Nothing to find (and give away) all sorts of items
• Home Improvement – Shop the Habitat for Humanity ReStore or Community Forklift
• Maker Equipment – The D.C. Library’s FabLab has 3-D printers and sewing machines
• Gardening Tools – DPR has a Garden Tool Share Program
• Books – Of course, head to the Library!