Your Disposable Tape Dispenser Doesn't Have to Be

sad, empty dispenser

new occupant of empty dispenser

Okay, so I might be the only person on earth who doesn't know this, but just in case I'm not, let me tell you: you can reuse disposable tape dispensers. This is not an earth-shattering discovery, but it helps reduce waste a wee bit.

Last week, I ran out of my Scotch brand double-sided tape, one of several double-sided tape species I use in my work. I loosened the empty plastic tape roll thingy for a later upcycling project, and set aside the dispenser, hoping I could find a way to upcycle that. Then I trotted off to Staples to buy some new tape. As I looked at the shelves full of tape, something caught my eye on the bottom shelf. It was a stack of small yellow boxes, each containing one roll of tape, sans dispenser. I may have done a fist pump at that moment. I bought the roll of tape (which was 20 cents cheaper and 3.5 times longer than a pack of tape with dispenser) and put it in the empty dispenser I had still waiting for me at home.

Many tape dispensers are designed to be refillable. Others are not, but with a little tweaking, you can reuse them. From a brief search I've done online about tape, it seems most manufacturers provide the option of buying their tape products without a dispenser. I feel a bit un-smart for not cluing in to this sooner, but hey, at least I know now.

Sometimes, it's these easy simple things that - all combined - make a big impact.