Why You Should Think Twice Before Throwing Away Cereal Boxes

Have you ever had moments when you were throwing something in the trash and noticed a whole lot of one kind of garbage in there that you instantly wish you could be repurposing? Despite what research has to say about what happens to your body if you eat cereal every day, cereal has remained America's default breakfast food for many years (via Serious Eats). The habit of cereal consumption even saw a spike in 2020 after the onset of the pandemic, according to Bloomberg. 

Consuming cereal inevitably leads to a lot of empty cereal boxes. Instead of chucking them in the trash, why not look at giving these boxes an added lease of life? The case for repurposing is strong. It is believed to be better for our environment than recycling which uses up a lot of energy in the process, per One Green Planet. Repurposing will also make you consider your purchases more carefully and live more intentionally overall. 

Coming up with alternative ideas for empty cereal boxes is also a good way to save money, according to One Green Planet. Cereal boxes are great for reuse in that the entire paperboard used for its construction (minus the glue and ink) can be employed for your projects, reports BBC Science Focus.

Paperboard from cereal boxes is a great base material for projects like gift tags, bookmarks, business cards, and postcards. You don't have to throw them away. Think twice before spending a lot of money on printer fees for business cards. In addition to being a fun little project that will have you really thinking about how you want to make a first impression, business cards made from cereal boxes also let people know you're passionate about repurposing (via DIY & Crafts).

If you're a reader, you probably understand the frustration of misplacing yet another bookmark somewhere in the house. Cereal boxes can come to your rescue here. All you'll need are a puncher, pair of scissors, some ribbon, and any kind of decorative material you like (paint, patterned paper, or markers), according to Family Focus Blog. Cut out strips of paperboard, decorate them, and punch a hole at the top. Run a ribbon through it and you're all set. Make an entire batch of them and place them in holders (made out of cereal boxes) in your home — a great idea to make sure you never run out of bookmarks. 

Gift tags are another product we spend unnecessary dollars on during the holidays. Cereal boxes make great material for cute little gift tags that you can decorate as you see fit, per One Good Thing. 

Cereal boxes make good material for organization hacks around your home. Whether you're in need of drawer dividers (via DIY & Crafts) or some paperboard holders that can store your pens, notebooks, magazines, and other knick knacks on your office desk space, per Vocal Media, you don't have to look very far from your empty cereal boxes.

Think twice before you buy expensive art to decorate your walls with the next time around. Did you know that cereal boxes can be turned into beautiful pieces of wall art that would impress visitors to your home? You can carefully match the tone and look of your home by choosing wrapping paper or any other kind of material that'll complement your space and simply cover your empty cereal boxes with them. Voila, you have creative wall art to fill those empty spaces on your wall. 

If you have kids in your home, turning empty cereal boxes into toys — a shadow box displaying your child's art, a cereal box parking garage, a cereal box aquarium, or a cereal box dollhouse (via Family Focus Blog) — all make excellent projects to involve your little ones in as well. All of these ideas for repurposing cereal boxes instead of throwing them away may spark something else in you. Who knows? You might be thinking twice before throwing away shampoo bottles next.