40 Incredibly Clever Ways To Re-use Toilet Roll Tubes

The average U.S. household gets through more than 400 standard rolls of toilet paper each year. But what happens to the cardboard tube inside? Even though you probably recycle it, which is a great option, you could go further than just reducing your waste. Why not try zero-waste with one of these 40 projects? You can transform what appears to be trash into cute crafts or useful household items. Read on and decide which one you’ll try first.

1. Make biodegradable plant pots

You could go to your local garden center and pick up biodegradable pots to start your seeds… or you could just save a few empty toilet paper rolls in the lead-up to spring. Slice each one in half, stand the pieces on a tray, and put some soil inside. Then sow your seeds and, when it comes time to pot them, you can bury them along with their TP container — it’s biodegradable.

2. Keep string organized

No one wants to untangle a pile of thread every time they have to sew or tie something — but you may find yourself doing just that if you aren’t properly organized. All you need is an empty TP roll with a slit cut into either end. Slide one end of the string into one side, then wrap it around the roll. Finish by tucking the other into the opposite slit.

3. Freshen up the bathroom

Finding an empty roll of toilet paper in the bathroom is nothing new — that is, unless it’s been repurposed into an air freshener. Decorate the tube on the outside so it coordinates with the decor. Then pour a few drops of essential oil over a cotton ball and stuff the fluff into your roll.

4. Tidy your Christmas lights

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — except if you’re the one left to sort out the twinkle lights. Make next year’s different by wrapping the wires around old toilet roll tubes. Then simply tape the lights in place. You can store other festive decorations inside the cylinders, too.