Looking to repurpose recyclable materials from around the house? In need of a fire starter but don't have the time or money to buy one right now? Fear not, as a recent Reddit post may have your back.

The scoop

On the Wood Stoving subreddit, a user posted a picture of toilet paper rolls, shredded paper, and dryer lint, explaining that they shove the latter two items into the toilet paper roll to create a functional fire starter.

"The shredded paper lights easily while the lint slows the burn like a wick and the tube holds it all in a convenient package," they wrote. "I place the opening facing the air intake vent so the incoming air makes it burn like someone taking a drag off a cigarette. It's a good way to start a fire with common trash that was going to be thrown out anyways."

How it's helping

The benefits of this hack are twofold.

First, as mentioned, it will save you money on a fire starter or lighter. It's not like those are the most expensive household items, but every little bit of savings helps out (especially if recent economic projections hold).

Secondly, it also benefits the environment.

We all learned the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" growing up, and while it's certainly catchy, it also encapsulates how you can contribute to environmental conservation.

Building a makeshift fire starter out of bits of paper and toilet paper rolls may not seem like a major decision, but these environmentally conscious lifestyle choices add up over time. Reusing paper and plastic products instead of throwing them out is an active choice to reduce waste, which in turn reduces crowding in our landfills and protects our oceans from pollution.

Make enough of these choices, and we can make a world of difference to our environments, both local and global.

What everyone's saying

Unsurprisingly, given the subreddit, commenters were eager to compliment the OP's creative, sustainable solution and give advice of their own.

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"We just collect pinecones in the fall, but this is a good idea too," wrote one user.

"I do virtually the same thing. I just stuff it with only dryer lint," read another comment. "And then put a small pile of shredded documents on top of the TP rolls. Then very thin strips of kindling on top of that."

One of the top-rated comments provided an equally resourceful suggestion: "We use egg cartons and sawdust, then coat the whole thing in paraffin. Old Girl Scout fire starters technique!"

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