Get a Lot of Junk Mail? Here are Some Ideas to Put it to Good Use...

I don't know about you, but I get a LOT of junk mail, almost daily! Fliers, ads, more ads, coupons (which I dig through, but find most of them not useful), "pre-approved" credit cards, etc. There is so much of it, and most of it just goes in the trash. What a waste of paper! Not to mention, it will fill your garbage much faster just because of how much you get!

For those of us who do not have a recycling service at our home (I live in an apartment complex that does not participate), paper is probably half of all our trash! There are things you can do with that paper, while saving room in your garbage cans for actual garbage.

For those of you that do have a recycling program, you may still be interested in what you can do with all that paper.

First of all, take those "pre-approved" credit card letters and tear/cut/shred them really well. 

Collect all those papers in a bag or a box.

You can check to see if your area has any recycling bin locations. I have noticed here in Indianapolis that a lot of schools and stores have these huge drop-bins in their parking lots for the public to use. Think about taking your recyclables, not just paper, there on your way to or from work or while running errands if you do have these.

You can use the papers to cover a table while working on a messy project, like re-potting your plants, gluing things together, building an art project, while your kids or you paint or color, or when you do anything that could otherwise damage your table.

Planning on moving soon? Here is some great packing material for all your delicate objects! Not moving soon? Maybe somebody you know will be, or put an ad on Craigslist! Somebody will be moving and will definitely need it!

Do you ship or mail things? Do you sell on Ebay? Here is some great packing material to keep it safe!

Use it as bedding or litter material for your pet bird, bunny, snake, lizard, hamster, rat, etc. Why spend money on bedding when paper works great! Just make sure to research and make sure your animal can have it in their habitat.

Don't have a pet? Maybe you have paper building up faster than you use it? Donate it to your local animal shelter or pet store! They are always in need of bedding, and they will be more than happy to accept your paper!

Oh, and cats LOVE a crumpled-up ball of paper! They can play with it for hours!

Do you build bonfires? Paper is good fire-starter material! Just be sure to crumple it up really good and keep an eye on it. When paper burns, it creates some very large ashes that easily float up and away. It can be messy or dangerous. Crumpling it up or putting wood on top of it will reduce this.

Did you know newspaper can be better than paper towels when cleaning windows? Have you ever noticed that paper towels will leave little bits behind? Newspaper is great for cleaning glass while being streak-free and not leaving pieces behind. This is also a great idea for your car windows!

As you can see, there are things you can do with your junk mail to give it a purpose besides just being glanced at and throwing it in the trash! Give it a second life, put it to good use, and RECYCLE it! You will benefit from the use of it and you will spend less on trash bags!