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Several of the items we use every day can have a second life before being thrown away, and often aluminum foil is one of them.
Utah State University Extension explains that this staple in almost every kitchen does not always need to be thrown out after use, but sheets that are not too worn can be washed and used again.
You don’t always have to throw away aluminum foil: How the sheets can be reused
This item, commonly used in cooking preparations — for example, to cover a baking sheet — can stay useful if it is cleaned at home and kept in usable condition.
The institution says aluminum foil is dishwasher-safe, and recommends placing the sheets — as long as they do not have large amounts of food residue — on the top rack of the dishwasher, on top of or between the dishes, to get clean sheets of foil ready to use again.
If the material is badly damaged, for example because it was used to cook meat, there is still a way to get some use out of it before throwing it straight in the trash.
In that case, the advice is to fold it several times and cut it with scissors as a way to sharpen the blades, thanks to the material helping remove built-up residue.
Other everyday items that can be reused
While creativity can give many everyday objects another use, some of the ideas shared by the institution are:
- Use an egg carton as a seed starter: Put soil and the seed you want to plant in each cup. Eggshells that are still mostly intact can be used for the same purpose if they are rinsed and dried upside down.
- Old CDs can be attached to a bicycle to work as reflectors, for example.
- Using gloves and safety glasses, old light bulbs can be reused by cutting off the bottom and adding plants or other decorations.