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Reuse
.................................................... Welfare Organisations .................................................... Advertising .................................................... Repair .................................................... Containers .................................................... Stationery .................................................... Paper .................................................... Furniture and Homeware .................................................... Shopping Bags .................................................... Books & Other Media .................................................... Electrical Appliances .................................................... Bicycles .................................................... Reusable instead of Disposable .................................................... Stocking .................................................... Other Ideas |
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Re-using a product that you'd normally throw out is the most basic form of recycling.
Reusing something for the same purpose for which it was originally intended or for another purpose (re-purposing) means that there is less waste. • For example using a wine bottle as a vase, making an outdoor candle holder out of used cans or using a cleaned mayonnaise bottle to store home-made jam. • Avoid waste from single use products. • Avoid disposable products. • Buy products made from recycled materials so that resources needed to make new products are saved. • Reusing items extends the life of the item before recycling it or disposing of it. Welfare Organisations • Giving your unwanted items to others or to welfare organisations is an ideal means of reusing products. • There are many welfare organisations, like Child Welfare, SOS Children's Homes, MaAfika Tikkun or Animal Welfare and many others in your area who can use or sell your unwanted items. • Many organisations will even collect from you. Advertising • Post a listing of your unwanted items on a community notice board, or in the classifieds. • There are a many websites where you can exchange or sell your unwanted items.
Reduce Reuse Recycle are the 3 Rs of waste management.
The 4th R is repair. • Instead of throwing things away, see if you can repair it so you can keep it for longer and extend the items life. • Ceramics can be glued back together. • Mug handles can be glued back in place. Keep on drinking. • Stitch tears in clothing. • Darn socks. • Sew buttons back on. • Glue heels and inner soles back on. • Replace heal tips on high heels. • The soles of shoes often wear out but the shoes are still good. Resole the shoes and keep on walking. • Fix toys and books. • If you no longer need the item then fix it and give it to someone else to use; or give it to someone that can fix it. Containers • Keep cardboard boxes in good condition, and keep reusing them. • Use your shoes boxes as storage containers for photos or other items. Paint them with leftover paint or decorate them with leftover wrapping paper. • Avoid using clingwrap or tinfoil to cover leftover food. • Rather use a plate that is slightly larger than the dish size so that the dish is covered properly. • Use the shower caps you get in hotels as covers on your leftover dishes. • These can be reused. • Put leftovers into tupperware with sealable lids. • Reuse food containers. • Reuse ice cream tubs, margarine containers, cottage cheese containers and other food containers again for storing other food either in the fridge, freezer or cupboard. • Reuse your containers as lunch boxes. • Reuse drinks bottles again. • Refill your plastic water bottles instead of constantly buying new ones. • If you must buy bottled water - then buy the largest container and fill your small bottles for ease of use. • Rinse your ziplock bags and use them again. • Buy cleaning products refills and reuse the original packaging. Stationery • Reuse envelopes and postal packaging. • Stick a piece of reusable paper over the existing address. Or use a label if you already have. Avoid buying more labels. • Reuse paper clips, plastic bands, folders and files. • Use a used envelope for submitting your medical aid claims in a collection box. • Within an office internal documents can be sent reusing the same envelope over and over again. • Refill pens and pencils. • If you no longer need stationery that you have, donate it to a needy school, crche or childcare centre. Paper • Reuse wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons. • Cut up waste paper into note sized pieces. • Use the other side of paper that's been printed on. • Reuse newspaper as giftwrap or for insulation within the home. • Refill and reuse ink cartridges. • Donate computers to be reused. Furniture and Homeware • Buy furniture from second hand stores. • Antiques are reusable furniture. • Purchase items at auctions. • Donate or sell furniture to be reused. • If you buy a new carpet, donate your old carpet. • Used crockery and cutlery can be bought from antique or second hand shops. • Sell or give away your unwanted crockery or cutlery. Shopping Bags • Reuse your shopping bags. • Reuse your own bag or basket instead of buying new plastic bags. • Use plastic bags as bin liners • Use material shopping bags • Use bags you have at home as your reusable shopping bags. Books and Other Media • Trade, sell or donate books you no longer need. • Give books and magazines to old age homes. • Give childrens books (as well as crayons and paper etc) to childrens homes or day care centres. • Give books to a library or school. • Join a library. • Join a bookclub. • Buy second hand books, comics, CDs, DVDs, games & videos. • Reuse discs and video tapes. Electrical Appliances • If possible get them repaired, or give them to a welfare organisation who will repair them Bicycles • Buy a used bike. It'll be cheaper than a new bike. Reusable instead of Disposable • Purchase products that are reusable rather than disposable. • E.g. Razors • Use a mug instead of a polystyrene cup for tea or coffee. • Avoid disposable tableware. • If you have disposable plastic "cutlery and crockery" - wash and reuse them or else recycle them. • Use rechargeable batteries. • Use cloths that can be washed and reused instead of paper towels. • Cut up old t-shirts or other old, stained clothes and use them as cloths. • Re-using a product that you'd normally throw out is the most basic form of recycling. • Reusing something for the same purpose for which it was originally intended or for another purpose (re-purposing) means that there is less waste. • For example using a wine bottle as a vase, making an outdoor candle holder out of used cans or using a cleaned mayonnaise bottle to store home-made jam. • Avoid waste from single use products. • Avoid disposable products. • Buy products made from recycled materials so that resources needed to make new products are saved. • Reusing items extends the life of the item before recycling it or disposing of it. Pantyhose / Stockings • Use laddered stockings as a cloth. • It’s great to polish shoes or the car. • Use as a strainer. • Tie pantyhose over a wire hanger and create a pond or pool skimmer. • Line the bottom of a flower pot to prevent soil running out. • Use pantyhose instead of string to tie up bundles. • Tie a tree to a stick to help it grow straight. • Use as a stuffing for homemade toys. • Store potatoes or onions in the length of a stocking leg. • Put the last slithers of soap into a stocking and tie it up – you can then finish all the small pieces. • Make sachets of pot pourie using stockings with a pretty bow. • Use the band of pantyhose as an elastic band to secure a bin liner in a bin. • Use the band of pantyhose or cut the stocking to create rings to use as hairbands. • Tie pieces of stockings over a bottle as a lid. Other Ideas • Create a "re-use" drawer for things like paper clips, elastic bands, nails, ribbons, received gift wrapping and bags, and other reusable items that you'd normally throw out. • Keep a button container. Clothes often come with a spare button. Keep them incase you lose a button on a garment. • Use containers like margarine or cottage cheese tubs or ice-cream tubs that you'd normally throw out (rather recycle them) as containers to hold the above. • Use old toothbrushes for cleaning. • If you have an electric toothbrush use rechargeable batteries. • Put used teabags in your garden beds as compost. • Make your own potpourie, using your dried roses or herbs and adding some essential oil. |
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EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS! GOING GREEN WORKS!
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