45 Genius Ideas That Help Make The World A Better Place

If you want to help save our planet, the time for action is now. Just take Greta Thunberg’s example – at just 16 years old, the young girl has already made a name for herself as an activist, even giving a speech at the recent UN Climate Summit. And don’t feel discouraged just because you’re not giving speeches in front of world leaders. There’s plenty of things you can do to help – be active, have an opinion, use less plastic – every little step counts. However, there are times when you feel like you could be doing more – that’s when you need some inspiration.

People online are sharing genius ideas that help make the world a better place and they just might be the inspiration you need. From plantable bracelets to avocado cutlery, check out all of the incredibly clever eco-friendly ideas in the gallery below!

#1 The Cafe At My Closest Beach Gives Free Drinks To People Who Collect A Bucket Of Litter From The Beach

#2 Turns Out My Pencil Is Made Of Recycled Newspaper

#3 Pen Made Of Recycled Water Bottles Casts A Shadow Of A Water Bottle

#4 Instead Of Using Paint For This Parking Lot, This Is How The “Lines” Are Created. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

#5 An Easy Way To Recycle Old Mascara Wands

Please do NOT throw away your mascara wands. Instead, clean JUST THE WAND with Dawn liquid soap, place them in a ziploc bag and mail them to a Wildlife Refuge accepting donations.

These little wands are able to be upcycled to clean away oil, larvae, fly eggs, mites, infections, mud and other contaminants from wildlife. Works great for medical care and wound treatment.

Mail to: Appalachian Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 1211 Skyland NC 28776

#6 Poland Unveils Glow-In-The-Dark Bicycle Path That Is Charged By The Sun

#7 Carlsberg Using Glue To Make Six Packs Instead Of Plastic

#8 Got An Event Bracelet That Can Be Planted

#9 I Found A Hidden Message When I Ripped The Paper Off This Ramen Pot

#10 An Ice Cream Cup Made Of Banana Leaves

#11 My Grocery Store Started Selling Overripe Bananas For Cheap With A Recipe For Banana Bread On The Bag

#12 You Can Charge This Battery With A Micro USB

#13 Refill Station At Simon Fraser University, Canada

#14 This Notebook Is Made Of Stone

#15 This Cup Is Made From Plant Starch, Not Plastic

#16 My Pencil Has Seeds On The Tip, So When It’s Too Small To Use It You Can Plant It And A Tree Will Grow Out Of It

#17 This Makes Me Incredibly Happy, And More Inclined To Shop Here More Often

#18 My University Makes Notepads Out Of The Recycled Paper And Hands Them Out To The Students

#19 Recycled Cardboard Used As An Alternative To Bubble Wrap

#20 Single-Use Cutlery And Straws From Avocado Seeds

Recently, Mexican company BioFase released single-use cutlery and straws that biodegrade in 240 days. The company collects avocado seeds from companies who process avocados to make guacamole or oil.

#21 This Super Market Had Tiny Paper Bags Instead Of Plastic Containers To Reduce Waste

#22 This Japanese Toilet Refills Through A Sink In The Top So You Can Rinse Your Hands And Re-Use The Water

#23 You Bike To Keep The Outlet Going, To Recharge Your Devices

#24 Every Day After Closing, This Local Bakery Leaves Out A Bag Of Their Unsold Pastries That People Can Take From Freely Instead Of Throwing Them Away And Make Unnecessary Waste

#25 The Bowling Alley In My Neighbourhood Tore Up Old Lanes And Used Them To Renovate The Washrooms

#26 My Local Coffee Shop Gives Free Compost Made From Their Used Coffee Grounds

#27 I Bought A Pack Of Cigarettes And They Came With A Postage Paid Recycling Pouch

#28 My Shoes Came With A “Handle” Rather Than Being Packed In A One Time Use Bag

#29 Throw And Grow Confetti

#30 A New Question Is Up On Our Cigarette Voting Bin On Villiers Street

#31 Disposable Bowl Made Out Of Nothing But Three Pressed Leaves, Sturdy Despite Being Fastened Together With Just A Small Bamboo Pin. Used By Street Food Vendors In India

#32 Eco-Friendly Eggs Packaging

#33 This Steel Gate Made Up Of Pliers

#34 They Had A Bike At My School To Blend A Smoothie That They Were Handing Out At Lunch

#35 This Office Is Made Up Of Old Shipping Containers

#36 The Water Taps At This Cafe Drip Onto Plants To Not Waste Water

#37 This Coffee Cup Is Made From Recycled Coffee Grounds

#38 This Sketchbook Made From Real Recycled Circuit Boards

#39 My New Dentist Has Their Forms Laminated To Reduce Paper Waste By Simply Plugging In And Wiping Off

#40 Resealable Cans Of Water

#41 The Paper Tag Attached To My New Pan Can Be Planted To Grow Herbs

#42 My School Fights Littering By Installing Basketball Hoops Above Trash Cans

#43 This Bag Of Old/Stained Face Towels Have Been Re-Used As “Rags” At This Hotel

#44 This Sink Counter At A Brewery Is Made With Recycled Beer Bottles

#45 The Beach I’m At Has A List Of Commonly Found Garbage And How Long It Takes For It To Decompose

Aušrys Uptas

One day, this guy just kind of figured - “I spend most of my time on the internet anyway, why not turn it into a profession?” - and he did! Now he not only gets to browse the latest cat videos and fresh memes every day but also shares them with people all over the world, making sure they stay up to date with everything that’s trending on the web. Some things that always pique his interest are old technologies, literature and all sorts of odd vintage goodness. So if you find something that’s too bizarre not to share, make sure to hit him up!