Much of our food packaging can be used to make art. Cereal boxes are usually brightly-colored and are sturdy enough to be cut into small pieces for a mosaic image. Milk cartons, both paper and plastic, can be used for sculpture material, as well as birdhouses, Easter or Halloween baskets, or forms for plaster sculpture. Small items such as bottle caps or soda-can tops can be transformed into jewelry. Labels from glass bottles can be tiled onto a support to provide a unique background for a drawing or painting.
Every type of paper has many uses in making art. Cardboard tubes can be used as the basis for figures or musical instruments. Glossy magazines headed to the trash work well for image transfers -- paint the image in acrylic medium, place it face-down onto another piece of paper, wet the back and peel the remaining paper away. Newspaper works well for paper mache and can be layered and sewn to create quilting squares. Junk mail can be collaged onto stiffer paper and sent to others as mail art.
Plastic bag collections are extensive in many households. Some artists create clothing out of plastic bags, using their lightness for flowing skirts. Like newspaper, they can be layered and sewn into squares, which can create a support for more sewn imagery or can even transform into book covers. Plastic bags can also be cut and woven like any other fabric to create a tapestry or a rug -- having a variety of colors at hand will emphasize the visual beauty.
For all the trash that has escaped reuse and recycling, it can still go on to live a second life as litter art. Some projects can provide a critical commentary on trash habits, such as creating a map of the United States out of gathered litter. Consider making a trash art project focused on litter found on your own street or neighborhood to draw attention to a local problem. Harnessing one of the elements of design, select items that are of just one color to give a project visual unity.