Other than displaying them on a shelf or mantelpiece as is, Christmas cards can be reused as stationery once the holiday season is over. Cooking certainly becomes more interesting if you were to jot down notes or recipes on the back of the printed portion of a Christmas card, and it lends a festive cheer to the kitchen all year-round. You could also use both the front and back halves of the card as covers for a notebook made of scrap/scratch paper.

Pretty Christmas cards can be used as bookmarks as well. All you have to do is cut them into 1 or 1.5-inch wide strips, and they’re ready to use. If you need to use up other Christmas-themed gift wrapping paraphernalia, tie a ribbon or tassel through a hole punched at the top of the bookmark for a prettier version.

You can also use the front portion of a Christmas card as a postcard, although this depends on whether the reverse of the card has been written on. Take note of the size of the card too, as there are postal specifications regarding the size of what is accepted as a postcard.

If you can bear to cut up the Christmas cards you’ve amassed, then use them as gift tags or very small greeting cards. One Christmas card can usually be divided into 6 gifts tags or cards. Similarly, you can retain the original image on the front of the card by making a mini jigsaw puzzle. This can be used as a stocking stuffer, or simply a way to help a child pass the time.

A gorgeous Christmas card deserves a place on the wall as a framed picture. Finding a frame that fits is easy since cards are small, and you would have a lovely piece of art that costs next to nothing to hang on your wall.

I’m a big fan of DIY beauty products, so using coffee grounds to exfoliate in the shower was the first thing to do. Coffee grounds are far coarser than the kernels you find in off-the-shelf body scrubs, which leaves the skin feeling extra smooth. They can also be combined with olive oil for post-shower silkiness.

As a side benefit, the abrasive quality of coffee grounds also works wonders in scouring away stubborn dirt, so you can clean yourself and the shower stall in one session (though not at the same time).

Coffee grounds, as it turns out, are valuable additions to the garden as fertilizer. Contrary to common perception, they don’t acidify the soil or compost; in fact, brewed coffee is more acidic. Used coffee grounds actually contribute nitrogen, which means they’re suitable as the “green” component in compost. One thing to avoid is allowing coffee grounds to remain damp for too long, as mold will grow, and no one wants that!

Ironically, coffee grounds are said to be perfect for cultivating mushrooms. I’ve also noticed an absence of snails ever since I began scattering my used coffee grounds in the garden.

If you, as I tend to be, get stuck with the job of cleaning fish, slicing onions, or some other similarly odorous kitchen chore, then you can take heart in used coffee grounds. Similar to baking soda, coffee grounds can neutralize odors on your hands, chopping board, and inside the fridge. Although baking soda is cheaper, I’d rather have coffee, because it smells so much more appetizing.

As an aside, have you ever found yourself with too much coffee at the end of a day? My mother did once, and for reasons still unexplained but wholly appreciated, she used it to marinate beef she used for stew that night. The result: nothing short of meltingly tender and uniquely tasty.

The last thing I’ve tried used coffee grounds for is as a post-shampoo rinse. Using a cheesecloth or muslin bag will probably make rinsing much easier, and dark hair will look darker, softer, and shinier for it!

Rather than stocking single-use water bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET/PETE) and fretting about the impact it will have on you, the landfills, and the environment, try doing without them altogether. It’s easier to fill up reusable water bottles from the tap rather than running to the store each time you need water.

In the workplace, replacing bottled water stock with a water dispenser is actually more cost-effective and generates less trash. To put things into perspective, more than a billion plastic bottles a year can be kept out of a city landfill if all of the city’s residents turned away from plastic, disposable water bottles.

Contrary to popular belief, there is very little difference between tap and bottled water. Water from the tap is treated and filtered so that it is safe for consumption, and if you read the labels closely, a lot of bottled water is sourced from municipalities, which effectively makes it higher-priced tap water. If the idea of tap water makes you squirm, home water filters are excellent for filtering out possible particulates and odors, providing “spring-fresh” water.

While you might be hesitant about reusing PET bottles due to health concerns, you don’t have to think only of water when it comes to reusing plastic water bottles. Oddly enough, the very items that are so easily disposed of, paper products and tin cans, are actually some of the best base materials for repurposing projects.

A simple example of plastic water bottle reuse would be to cut off the top of a bottle, and use it as a container for non-food items. These include: money, stationery, utensils, paint, and even plants.

Other uses for plastic bottles that I wouldn’t have thought of immediately include candle holders (the candle is held in place by the bottle neck), an emergency funnel, and drip irrigators.

Of course, bottles can always be sent to recycling centers, presumably to manufacture more bottles. On the other hand, recycled plastic bottles may take new forms – fabric, apparel, handbags, and office furniture.

Container gardens are the perfect solution to such situations. The easy task of establishing one gives you the opportunity to reuse drink containers if you don’t want to buy pots right away. Soda bottles or those large milk/juice jugs can be cut in half to hold plants. The same goes for smaller drink packets or yogurt tubs, which can be used as seedling containers. A dedicated container gardener I know swears by her egg carton “nursery.”

Other gardeners make it a point to use discarded wooden crates or flower baskets, which lend a rustic charm to the resulting garden. You can place potted plants in them, or line them for direct planting, and check them periodically for deterioration. You could also repurpose empty paint cans or bleach bottles if you need larger pots, but don’t use containers that once held toxic products if you intend to eat said plants.

Container gardens are also ideal for the would-be gardener who prefers to have a tight grip on his or her environment. Aside from enjoying the freedom of selecting the potting soil you like, such gardens can be easily arranged by moving the containers to where you want them to be. Cultivating potted plants also means that you can expand the garden gradually.

Another thing I like about container gardening is its small footprint; since everything is in a container, you use less water for upkeep, although you might need to water the plants more frequently. In addition, growing plants this way means that you can move plants indoors when necessary, you can move them to where the sunlight is, and you can use them to brighten up the interior – terrariums, anyone?

You can establish a container garden virtually anywhere. If you want one on your desk, make sure you choose a small enough container and combine it with small plants, the appropriate potting soil, lining material, and drainage insert for instant cheer.

Reduce Reducing the amount of paper waste a household generates usually entails a drastic change in shopping habits, but how many things are wrapped in paper these days anyway? Have you thought of the sleeve that comes with your morning cuppa? It’s made of textured paperboard, and is disposed of without a second thought along with the paper cup that holds said coffee.

You might think it too gauche to bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop, although it does negate the need for a sleeve. Happily, washable coffee sleeves are ubiquitous now, and come in much more interesting colors than plain paper bag brown. Alternatively, you can make your own (or get someone with sewing skills to do it for you) out of thick fabric. Bonus green points are awarded if you source the fabric from another unwanted item.

Reuse It’s easy to reuse paper printed on only one side. We use it to make out grocery lists or to print article drafts. Sometimes, my mother uses newsprint to smother weeds. Admittedly, it can be unsightly, but it works!

The more pressing issue is glossy paper, such as those used for flyers. Recycling centers generally refuse it, and it doesn’t do well in the compost bin. The easy thing to do is to use it for a craft project. Projects to try include weaving baskets and place mats. Those who have a large stash of glossy paper and time to spare could attempt a coiled paper wastebasket.

Recycle In Malaysia, entrepreneurial individuals calling themselves “old newspaper men” make the rounds around residential areas every day. Driving battered pickup trucks or vans, they buy old newspapers, making payouts based on the height of the pile before trucking the paper to recycling centers.

However, if sending unused/unwanted paper refuse for recycling sounds like too much work for you, you can add it to compost. This only works on the premise that you have a compost pile/bin. Newsprint and non-glossy/colored paper contribute carbon to the nitrogen-rich environment created by green plant materials in compost, which prevents the compost from degenerating into a sodden, stinking pile of plain garbage.

In my case, I couldn’t bring myself to just discard those empty cans. It was bad enough to consume a horrendous amount of preservative-laden food; I couldn’t stomach increasing the landfill load as well. Looking around, I realized that the house needed a cleanup. My gaze went from the scattered stationery to the empty cans and back again; I knew what to do.

Stationery – Once the cans are washed and dried, and their labels removed, just slide in all the stationery you have lying around the house.  Presto, easy-access stationery storage! The same goes for the crayons and colored pencils children seem to accumulate by the minute. Just glue magnets to the backs of the cans, attach them to a wall-mounted sheet of stainless steel, and you have your own art supply wall.

Kitchen – You can use empty soup cans to hold cutlery. Personally, I think my cooking area would look incomplete without the cans that hold my cooking utensils. You could also rig your own coffee roaster if you’re handy with power tools. I am not.

Odds and ends – Rather than root through the junk drawer or sift through an entire box of art supplies for a few beads, I’ve found that empty tuna cans are perfect for storing small items. Since they’re shorter, they fit perfectly inside drawers or craft boxes while keeping the contents separate and neatly organized.

Décor – A plain can is the perfect backdrop for a bouquet of bright flowers, whether fresh, dried, or plastic. If the occasion calls for something prettier, you can dress up the cans with fabric, wrapping paper, or wallpaper. You can also use cans as tea light holders, creating dotted designs by punching holes with a hammer and nail. Fill the can with water and freeze it first to prevent it from buckling during hammering.

Garden – Empty cans make the perfect containers for sprouting. I might even use them as actual pots if I could find large-enough specimens! Although I wouldn’t prettify them, drilling a hole in the bottom for drainage is easily done.

Although I’m not a home improvement genius, I did remember to file down the sharp inner edges of the cans. Here’s to the next batch of (canned) soup!

That was flippant, but I was at a loss for what to do to comply with this idea. Not to mention it was suddenly Thursday, and I still didn’t know what I could do to be part of those who do their bit. We’ve already replaced all the incandescent light bulbs with the compact fluorescent type, we don’t drink bottled water anymore, lights are switched off when not in use, all plumbing is low-flow, and appliances are energy-conserving. We take shorter showers. We practice locavorism when we can. We go meat-free once a week! We grow our own greens!

We’re particularly proud of that last thing, because it means we don’t spend so much on organic greens anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but they do eat into the monthly budget. In fact, buying fewer greens means that we drive less frequently, which leads to lower carbon emissions.

There are two things I’d like to try though:

Guerilla gardening – what could be more green, and subversive, than to garden on someone else’s land without permission, more so if the land is completely cemented over?

Doing a grocery run, literally – I’ve read about people running to the grocery store and trotting home with the spoils in a backpack. The store we usually shop at is approximately 2 miles away, and it’d be a great way to train for a 10K race.

In any case, I think that doing one thing that leads to a billion other little things doesn’t mean doing something completely brand new; there’s something to be said for keeping calm and carrying on.

But fret not, as cracked crayons can be given a new lease of life with just a little time and heat. The only thing(s) you might need to buy is a muffin pan and paper muffin liners, if you don’t have those already. Otherwise, just follow these instructions:

1. Sort crayons based on color; remove paper wrappings
2. Place broken crayon bits inside muffin liners, filling them up halfway
3. Leave inside a 225°F oven for 15 minutes
4. Remove and leave to cool before popping them out
5. Gloat, or give the reincarnated crayons away. Do both. The choice is yours.

Variations include:

• Sorting colors based on color family (i.e. yellows, blues, reds and so on)
• Grouping contrasting colors together (e.g. purple and yellow), or using complementary combinations (red and yellow)
• Spraying the muffin pan with nonstick spray to eschew the use of paper liners (you should probably use a different muffin pan for edible creations)
• Swirling a toothpick through the melted crayons for a psychedelic effect before leaving them to cool and harden

When you consider how a whopping 90%* of blunt/broken crayons are immediately discarded, you can see why art can be expensive. The results of this simple and economical exercise can be used as party favors or small gifts, or just to complete your own masterwork. Alternatively, use them to add artful (ahem) little touches to the décor.

* Figure based on observation

Procrastinate on printing. Despite the American employee using an average of 10,000 sheets of paper annually, virtually none of it contains “game-changing” information. Don’t give in to the near-compulsion to print out practically every piece of office communication received.

Reduce the amount of paper used by printing only what is needed, or use both sides of the paper when printing is required. If intra-office communication plays a large role in day-to-day office contact, consider how instant messaging and emailing attachments and information accomplishes the job much more quickly and economically.

Don’t buy new. Everyone knows that printer manufacturers make their money from selling replacement ink and toner cartridges. While the cost is certainly something to grumble about, consider how each new cartridge your office purchases means that another empty one will make its way to the landfill. In fact, there is no law against refilling your own ink or toner cartridges. Refilling kits are certainly cheaper, and come with a lot less packaging than brand-new cartridges do.

Switch off when you leave. One of the enduring mysteries of our time is how the lights in the office remain ablaze long after everyone has gone home. If building management stipulates this, leave only the most visible lights on. Alternatively, use compact florescent light bulbs (but leave as few on as possible).

Similarly, leaving your PC on overnight won’t ensure that you’ll start work more quickly the next day, and the same goes for the coffee-machine. Energy-efficient equipment uses energy, albeit less, as long as it remains switched on. It doesn’t make a difference to your work, but it will definitely contribute to carbon emissions!

Wastage tends to take place in the workplace because we don’t feel a sense of ownership about the place. If more people thought of how these bad habits can affect our quality of life in 20 years, though, I’m sure that we’d see a lot more green habits practiced in the office.

Using a cup when you brush your teeth reduces the volume of water used. Considering you’re supposed to brush for 3 minutes, leaving the tap running while doing so wastes about 7.5 gallons of water. This adds up to 5475 gallons a year! In contrast, a cup holds approximately 0.07 gallons, or 250 mL; practically one-tenth of that wasted, and you don’t even have to switch to low-flow taps.

Skip bathing; shower instead. Drawing one bath uses approximately 21 gallons of water, whereas a 3-minute shower uses 7.5 gallons. If you install low-flow showerheads and remember to turn the water off while soaping, you can look forward to a substantial reduction on your next water bill.

Placing (sealed) water bottles filled with water or gravel to the cistern helped reduce the amount of water used to refill it after each flush. We refilled it with grey water too, sometimes. We now have a low-flow cistern, but we still practice “if it’s yellow, let it mellow.”

Using grey water is a good way of reducing the amount of water used while getting more value for your money, so to speak. Grey water is generated from household activities such as laundry, showering/bathing, and washing the dishes (you also use less water doing the dishes by hand).

We use grey water to water the plants, as we can’t get our heads around the whole concept of recycling it for household use. However, we filter it if it contains large food solids, such as from dishwashing, and consign those to the compost heap.

The changes we made are relatively recent, but the difference is palpable. Most of the methods here concern water usage in the toilet, as we found that our daily toilet used the most water.