Thinking about the unstoppable flow of time and how it changes everything in its path can be unsettling. People have no choice but to grow old, and non-living things get worn down just the same. However, there’s a lot of beauty in being able to stand the test of time and having many stories to tell afterward.
To remind us what time is capable of, We compiled a list of things that got graciously worn down over the years. Scroll down to find them, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that got the best transformation.
While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with environmental educator and blogger at Zero Waste Cutie, Elizabeth Teo, who kindly agreed to share a few tips on how we can make our belongings last longer.
#1 Before And After Powerwashing. New York Used To Be A Much Dirtier City Back When The Northeast Ran On Coal Plants
#2 This Dog Statue Is Worn Down From Being Petted So Much
#3 Stairs Worn Down By A Million Footsteps Over A Thousand Years At Sperlinga Castle, Sicily
Environmental educator and blogger at Zero Waste Cutie, Elizabeth Teo, tells us that she started her journey toward a more sustainable way of living after she realized how much waste she was producing and how little was being recycled.
#4 My Dads Cat Has Been Scratching The Same Leg Of This Bench For The Past Decade
#5 My Teddybear I Had For Over 30 Years And One As Good As New
I had this bear my whole life, he was my best friend for a very long time. He got loved and very abused. I searched for one good as new to give it to my child one day!
#6 My Mother’s Clipboard From Doing The Newspapers Crossword Puzzles For 30 Years
“It was overwhelming to think about the impact, not just on the planet but on future generations. The more I learned about environmental issues, the more I realized how small changes in my daily habits could make a huge difference. So, I decided to shift toward a more sustainable lifestyle, one step at a time—focusing on reducing waste, reusing items, and making conscious choices about what I buy and how I consume.”
#7 This Whole Brick Wall Which Has Been Shaped By The Sea
#8 Kannesteinen – Special Rock Formation Formed By The Sea
#9 This Church In Detroit, Mi Hasn’t Been Cleaned Since It Was Built 134 Years Ago. I Always Thought The Stone Was Black
With a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto, Elizabeth blends her academic knowledge and professional experience in environmental nonprofits to raise awareness and offer practical solutions to environmental challenges people often face, like fast fashion, waste management, and climate change, focusing on various social implications.
#10 Good Boi Loves The Wind
The amount of time this dog has leaned out their window…
#11 This Is A Real Knife That Is Used By The Fish Cutter At My Current Job. He’s Been Using It For 35 Years
#12 The Bells Hanging On The Back Door Of My Parents House
These bells have been hanging on this door since 2011 and their dogs ring them to go outside.
A great way we can reduce waste and be more environmentally friendly is to take care of our belongings and fix them when they get worn down instead of retiring them to a landfill. Elizabeth suggests we can start doing that by shifting our mindset. “Instead of seeing items as disposable, we can treat them as investments,” she said.
#13 Was Told To Post This Here. The Local Place I Play Ping Pong At. They Haven’t Changed The Tables In 20 Yrs
#14 Stone Stairs Worn By Clogs
#15 The Floor Has Worn Out Where People Have Been Standing At My Local Shop
“Regular maintenance is key,” Elizabeth noted, “whether it’s cleaning things properly, repairing them when needed, or storing them in ways that prevent wear and tear. For example, wash clothes in cold water, patch up small holes in clothing before they get worse, and regularly oil wooden furniture to keep it from drying out. When you love and care for your belongings, they last much longer and often work better!”
#16 This Light Post Is Outside Of A Popular Music Club In New Orleans. After 40 Years Of Having Band Flyers Stapled To It, There’s No More Room
#17 500 Years Of Walking Up The Marble Stairs Of The Leaning Tower Of Pisa
#18 A Cinderblock That Washed Up On The Beach After A Bit Of Time Tumbling Around In The Ocean Currents
When it comes to fixing, mending, reusing, or repurposing things that might’ve been worn over time, Elizabeth advises to embrace your inner DIYer. “There are so many simple fixes that can breathe new life into worn items. If clothes are getting frayed or torn, learn to sew (take a class or ask a friend—my brother is so skilled at this!). Patching up holes or adding fabric patches can make them look unique and stylish. Old jars can become planters, and fabric scraps can be transformed into quilts, bags, or even reusable gift wrap.”
#19 Generations Of Deer Rubbing Their Antlers On The Only “Tree” For Miles
#20 Stone On This Italian Castle Being Completely Worn Down By 700 Years Of Rainfall Dripping Off The Roof Onto The Exact Same Spot
#21 Water Spirit Tummy Rubs
Takayama Japan, not sure who this water spirit is but he seems to get a lot of tummy rubs.
“For things like furniture, a fresh coat of paint or new hardware can make them look brand new,” she added. “The key is to get creative and see the potential in what others might discard. A little effort can turn something old into something functional and beautiful again!”
#22 Years Of Water-Flow From This Drainage Pipe Has Worn This Bit Of Sidewalk Down To The Rocky Base
#23 The Railing On This Dock Has Groves Worn Into It From Years Of People Pulling Up Crab Traps
#24 The One And Only Basketball That Lives At The Local Park And Somehow Still Bounces
For more ideas that can help us live more sustainably, make sure to check out our previous article on small ways we can help our environment or this piece on zero waste tips and tricks that might inspire you to produce less waste.
#25 A Mooring Pole For The Local Ferry
#26 This Parking Garage At The Golden Nugget
#27 These Trees Are Curved Due To The Constant Airflow From Nearby Exhaust Vents
#28 Tiles In A Restaurant Worn Down After 83 Years Of Use
#29 My Hair Stylist Only Uses One Chair
#30 Pretty Close To A Normal Distribution In Gym Machine
it shows the frequency that each weight is used!
#31 Melted Steps
#32 This Shortcut Symbolizes Human Laziness (Yes, I Use It)
#33 The More This Seat Is Worn Down The More It Reveals The Old Design
#34 A Melting Sign In Mid Wales
I don’t even know what’s happened here, but it looked gross, I love it.
#35 Can’t Even Count The Layers On This One
#36 The Door Of Forbidden Planet In NYC
#37 7 Year Old Ice Scoop vs. Brand New
#38 Work Jeans
#39 This Honolulu Stop Sign Bleached By The Sun
#40 Ty Penguin 9 Years Apart
Was gifted the penguin on the left 9 years ago by my girlfriend, it’s been on my keys every day sense, just got the one on the right for my birthday. His name is waddles
#41 A Turn On The Way Out Of A Grocery Store
#42 2034 Midori Hibino
Every thought, every time I exercised, every major event. Love this. GPT another for2025
#43 Pool Stick
Clearly this pool stick has been used a little too long
#44 I’ve Been Using The Same Home-Made Hammer For 20 Years. Here’s How It Looks Like Today
#45 Plastic Turf Underneath Swings
Why are we using plastic turf? It heats up to really high temperatures in the sun (especially dark colours like BLACK), it gives horrendous carpet burns, and it can’t be repaired. What happened to wood chips?
#46 I’ve Never Noticed The Imprint Left Behind In Train Stations
#47 Door Lock
#48 After 10yrs, Time For An Update
Had this on my keychain for a long time. The old one lost its last leg today, so it’s time to replace it. The new guy has been waiting in the drawer for years now.
It’s interesting (at least to me) to see how not only the printing, but the material has worn off over time, for example on the helmet.
#49 Elizebeth Line Bench
#50 Parking Spots At A Post Office Built In 1934
#51 This 110 Year Old Penny I Got In My Change At Walmart
#52 My Mum’s Curry Spoon Next To A New One
#53 So Popular It’s Worn Down The Hump
#54 These Bushes Polished The Faded Siding On A Windy Road
#55 Years Of Placing These Pool Cues Back On Three Racks
#56 500k+ Copies “Paper Cut” These Grooves Into The Plastic In This Copy Machine
#57 The Right Side Of A Restaurant Table Where People Put Their Utensils
#58 New vs. Old Baby Blanket My Best Friends 15 Year Old Son Finally Decided To Give Up
#59 Stairs In Knaresborough Castle, Built 1100
#60 Our Cattle Licked This Post For The Better Part Of 50 Years
#61 Gate Outside Of Walmart Garden Center
#62 My Worn Out Sock Looks Like Oogie Boogie
#63 The Back Of A Combine Harvester, Where All The Straw Exits The Machine
This rubber canvas that used to cover the metal plate got sanded by straw over time.
#64 My 3 Year Old Wallet vs. New
#65 After 21 Years Of Daily Use, My iPod Finally Bit The Dust Today. [oc]
#66 Many Years Of Driving 70km+ A Day With No Mats
#67 New vs. Old Headlights After 160,000 Miles 2014 Nissan Altima
#68 “This Counter Has Been Here 50 Years, Through Three Businesses…”
#69 Gave My Tech A New Hat A Year Later
#70 New Jersey Mike’s Chair vs. 4 Year Old Chair
#71 This Stop Sign Has Been So Weathered By The Elements That It’s Turned Yellow
#72 Shopping Carts vs. Sidewalk
#73 Underneath This Soap Dispenser At A Concert Venue Bathroom
#74 This Viewpoint Spot Worn Down Where People Take Pictures
#75 No One Knows What Is The Purpose Of That Button
#76 One Pair From 2008, One From 2025. Same Style, Size, And Color
#77 The Amount Of Cars That Have Shaved This Telephone Pole Down
It’s a horrible turn, I’ve seen at least 3 box trucks clip the pole
#78 Classic Worn Wooden Stairs
#79 This Tree In My Backyard That’s Been Worn Down Overtime By A Hammock Being Tied To It For 11 Years
#80 5 Year Old Spongebob Wallet Next To My Brand New One
#81 Cement Tie-Off Post At A Boat Dock
#82 Touch The Pole
#83 The Bumping Stone In Salisbury Cathedral
#84 Decades Of Storm Drain Water Running Into The Runoff Creek. We Use A Lot Of Salt In The Winter, It Makes Concrete Very Brittle
#85 Squishmallow I’ve Slept With Daily For 3 Years vs. The Brand New Replacement
#86 How You Can Tell The Code’s Numbers On My Residence Keypad
#87 Door Handle At A Small Bakery/Cafe
#88 Public Toilet Used So Much The Enamel Has Been Worn Through
#89 Compressed Air Nozzle Hanging At The Barbershop
#90 Floor
#91 A Keychain I’ve Had For Somewhere Around 7 Years
#92 Hikers Have Worn Down This Fallen Tree On The Trail
#93 This New Hotel Carpet That Looks Like It’s Worn Out Beyond Threadbare
#94 Scrub Daddy
#95 My Front Door’s Chain
#96 Can You Tell This Year Was Stressful?
This thing has actually held up really well and I love it so much I had to get another and seeing what it looked like before is just wild
#97 The Way My Laptop Has Worn Down
#98 Wear Pattern From Constant Sliding On And Off Metal Stools
#99 The Wear Of A Hose Repeatedly Being Pulled Around This Corner
#100 Manhole Cover In Toronto
Old vs still old but definitely newer
#101 Trader Joe’s Bathroom
#102 Rental Counter At The Ice Skating Rink
#103 The Back Of This Chair Is Worn Down From Constantly Hitting The Table
#104 Parents Have Had This Oven Tray For 30+ Years
#105 The Floor In The Basement Of This Scientific Institute
#106 My 15+ Year Old Carhartt
Heard you guys like old Carhartt jackets; got this as an Xmas present from my now mother in law when I was still in college. Retired from daily service maybe 5 years ago and is now my garage jacket.
#107 Pathway Made By People Being Efficient
#108 Old Pillow vs. New Pillow
#109 My Cousin’s Old vs. New Rings
#110 Hospital Elevator Buttons, And Not Buttons
#111 A Bedroom Light Switch – Guessing It’s Original To The Building And About 30 Years Old
