Did you know that there are millions of plastic items floating around out there in landfills? Kind of a sickening thought, huh? In my tiny town of 385 people, we have a recycling transfer station and for the items we don't reuse, my husband takes them in about once a month. Hey, it's a tiny house and even though I try, I just can't use everything.

You can keep your plastic milk jugs out of the garbage and the landfills by reusing them for everyday household organization and storage, in your yard and garden and basic toys for your kids. Try out some of these ideas.

1. Make a cheap, easy and convenient bird feeder.
2. Use them as a seed starting container by cutting off the jug about 3 inches from the bottom and poking small holes in the bottom for water drainage. Fill with potting soil and some seeds.
3. Poke holes in the bottom of the jug and use as a watering can for your garden plants and flowers.
4. Cut into strips and use a permanent marker to make plant markers.
5. Cut the bottom and part of the handle off and use as a scoop.
6. Cut off the bottom of the jug, poke a hole at the top of the handle and thread heavy wire through into the soil and use as a protector of your plants from the hot sun or inclement weather.
7. Use as floaters for your kids when they are swimming or in the water. Tie a string to each handle and then tie around your child.
8. Cut the bottom off and use the top as a funnel.
9. Cut a hole opposite the handle and use as a storage container for almost anything. Works great for storing golf balls, nails, screws, and rubber bands and probably a thousand other things.
10. Cut out a hole opposite the handle and use to store your plastic bags.
11. Save them for when you need water. This works great for me when we forget to let the water drip in the winter and wake up to frozen pipes. I just run down to a friends house or to my dads house and fill up the empty jugs with water. Sure beats melting snow, cause you don't want to know how much snow it takes to make a gallon of water!!
12. Cut the top off and use the bottom as a catch all container for things that don't have a permanent home.
13. Cut a hole near the top and use to store your toilet brush.
14. Use to store dry goods such as rice, coffee, and sugar.
15. Cut a 1/4 inch slit near the top of the milk jug and use as a piggy bank. Decorate your new penny saver however you wish.

I love all these ideas and have tried the majority of them. I haven't tried the piggy bank yet, but I think that it is a great way to get my toddler involved in some of my projects. What are some of the ways you recycle your plastic jugs?

Plastic shopping bags seem to accumulate in my house as quickly as the dust bunnies. Though I take most of the bags to a local grocery store that has a special recycling bin just for that purpose, I like to keep a few around the house for small jobs like lining bathroom trash cans or cleaning up after a messy art project. Instead of cramming the bags into a junk drawer or stuffing them underneath the sink, I turned an empty plastic milk carton into a bag holder that fits neatly on a shelf in my pantry.

The next time you finish a gallon of milk, clean it out by squirting in a dab of dish soap and filling it halfway with warm water. Replace the cap tightly and give it a few good shakes -- or hand it off to a nearby kid and let them shake it, they love to watch the suds form.

Rinse the jug thoroughly and allow to dry upside down overnight. Then, with a sharp pair of scissors, cut a circle about four inches across into the side of the jug. Now you're ready to stuff all your stray plastic bags into the new holder. You'll be amazed at how many you can cram in there, and love how they pop out like tissues when you need one.