Resourceful people see materials where others see leftovers.

What counts as waste is a judgment about intended use, not about the material itself. Offcuts, spare time, half-finished attempts, discarded drafts, all remain perfectly good substance for something other than what they were meant for. The category of leftover is imposed rather than found.

Look at what you routinely discard in your work, physical or otherwise. Ask what it could be the beginning of. Some of the most distinctive things get made from what everyone else threw out.