Hey, it’s Dan

In Today’s Issue:

• I’m letting you decide what I try next

• You’ll pick from 5 weird reuse experiments I’ve been thinking about

• I’ll build the winner and take you along for the ride

• Plus: public shame, emotional glue sticks, and possibly a bracelet fork

🌎 Our Mission

Eco Hustle is about helping people get paid to save the planet—one plastic project at a time.

Each week I test a reuse idea, document the chaos, and see if it’s possible to turn trash into something useful—or at least entertaining.

Sometimes it’s about kits.
Sometimes it’s about failed birdhouses.
This week? It’s about letting you steer the ship.

This Week’s Plastic Problem

I’ve been on the scrubber train long enough.

They work. I use them. Some family members (shoutout to Tim and Debir) even love them.

But let’s be real — the scrubber kit is on creative life support. It served its purpose, taught me a ton, and gave my wrists a solid reason to ache.

Now it’s time to move on.

So I’m opening it up.

I’ve pulled together a shortlist of questionable-but-intriguing side hustle ideas from the Eco Hustle backlog. And now I want you to help me pick the one I actually build next.

No pressure. Just public accountability and the internet watching me glue together my dignity.

🛠 This Week’s Hustle: Pick My Next Eco Side Hustle

Here are the ideas I’m considering:

 Binder Clip Phone Stand

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Minimal effort. Marginal usefulness.
Would anyone actually want this? Or is it just office supply cosplay?

Upcycled Toy Part Keychains

Funky little keychains made from busted Happy Meal toys.
Potential charm… or peak landfill energy?

Fork Bracelet (Yes, Like Jewelry)

Bend an old fork into a wrist cuff. Could be cool. Could be stabby.
Not sure if it’s fashion or a safety hazard.

Glass Jar Glow-Up: $10 Pasta Sauce Decor

Can I make a used jar look like high-end home goods?
Or will it just look like a pasta jar with anxiety?

 Mystery Chaos Bundle

A surprise bag of failed loops, miscuts, weird craft parts, and “what was this supposed to be?” energy.
Possibly art. Definitely confusion.

💡Pro Tip (From a Beginner)

Every reuse side hustle sounds great on paper.
It’s the follow-through that gets weird.

One minute you're painting a jar.
Next thing you know, you’re stress-Googling “how to price a pasta vase.”

That’s why I test stuff in public. Not because it always works—
but because it keeps me building when I’d normally spiral.

One Last Tangle

I’m not trying to build a product empire.
I just want to find one reuse idea that doesn’t suck to make… and doesn’t end up back in the trash.

If you help me pick it, I’ll build it.
And I’ll show you what happens—good, bad, or “please never do this again.”

P.S. I Read Every Reply

Yes, even the one that said, “Stick to bags, dude.”

This one’s for the experimenters, the chaotic good crafters, and the maybe-this-time-it-works optimists.

Reply with your vote.
Let’s see what kind of trouble we can build together.