Cardboard gets a lot of use when it comes to moving things, shipping items, and putting items away in storage. And to be honest, this all makes complete sense considering that corrugated cardboard is actually made for shipping things. So when it comes to the other tasks, cardboard boxes get the job done handily.

But have you ever had cardboard laying around the house that was once used for those things and you no longer thing you have a use for? While recycling it is your best bet (instead of throwing it in the trash), there are still other uses yet for the cardboard you think you don’t need. All it requires is a little bit of creativity and you’ll be reusing it like a master.

Part of the problem is we look at everyday materials like cardboard as expendable and worth next to nothing. While both of these viewpoints aren’t far off base, we don’t do nearly enough to reuse these materials, recycle them when we’re sure that we have gotten the most out of it, and reduce our overall consumption of more of those materials. The three Rs of recycling really do go a long way when trying to erase our carbon footprints. It’s just that most people don’t try and consider it too much effort (in which it really isn’t).

Shims.

Cardboard that’s been broken down makes for great shims when something is unlevel. All you’ve gotta do is cut it down to size to fit under whatever table leg, piece of furniture, or other thing it is that you need balanced out. Beats the heck out of fixing the dang thing sometimes, doesn’t it? It’s quicker, free, and makes use of your leftover cardboard boxes.

Recycling containers.

Seems fitting to use cardboard boxes for containers in which you recycle items, doesn’t it? I would advise not putting bottles or cans in cardboard though, simply because the liquids within may eventually seep out into the cardboard, soaking it and making it all soggy. Instead, put those in containers that you can reuse and won’t break down from the liquids. However, any plastic that you can recycle that has lids and all paper can go in your cardboard boxes set out for recycling!

Dividers.

When you need to compartmentalize items in your garage but don’t want to buy some brand new cabinet or storage box, look to cardboard for a quick fix. You can break the box down, tear off a piece of cardboard, and slide it in between items to separate them.