In the second of a three part series, we will be looking at the 2nd R, Reusing. Reusing items or ‘upcycling’ is a fantastic way of breathing new life into things you may have laying around the house, and if you’re looking for ways to make the most of your money while you’re a student, upcycling can help you make the most of what you already have!

We here at the Student Green Office have shared a variety of ways to upcycle things you may otherwise throw away over the years, here are just a few. Of course this isn’t a comprehensive list of things you can do to reuse items, any way you want to do this is valid!

Burned but not Burned out!

Earlier this year, SGO Mirka showed us how you can use the leftover candle wax to make more candles. There’s probably a ton of seemingly single-use things like this that we buy that we could get more out of with a little innovation!

Transforming T-shirts

Rewind to 2019, we could meet in groups and host events. This is exactly what SGO Fran did when she hosted a Christmas Crafts workshop at Augustine Hall. One of the crafts that she taught was how to upcycle a t-shirt into a tote bag! Why not have a go at this yourself? What other cool ways could you make old or damaged clothes work as something new?

Up and onward with Upcycling!

Back in 2016, SGO Irina looked at ways you can upcycle. These upcycling crafts varied from using old lightbulbs to make vases all the way to turning tyres into an outdoor seat! Any time you go to throw something away, think first – ‘What else could this be used for?’

And of course we want to see your upcycling creations so tweet them to us (@cccuscn) or tag us on instagram or facebook (@cccusustainability). Stay tuned to our blog for the final post in our 3 R’s series, and if you missed the first blog in the series, you can read it here!

by Amy Bayliss-Fox, SGO Project Officer #livingwell