|
Recycling is something we all should
be doing. It reduces the amount of refuse that ends up in the
landfills, is beneficial for the environment, and feeds the growing
recycling industry. Taking or sending cans and glass for recycling
is great, but it's even better if you can find a way to re-use
things in your home. Extending the life of certain items saves the
energy that would be spent on reprocessing. It also saves time and
money for you, and frees up a bit of space in your garbage cans and
recycle bin.
Used books, clothing, and furniture
can be 'recycled' through secondhand or consignment shops. You can
also hold a garage sale or donate the items to a community yard
sale.
Look for products with less packaging.
Many products offer refills or larger sizes to cut down on
packaging.
Take your own shopping bags to the
market.
Old clothes and fabric that aren't
worthy of resale can be cut into rags for cleaning. Old sheets and
voile panels are just the things to drape over flowers, shrubs, rose
bushes, and vegetable plants to spare them from the frost. A
collection of old sheets and old clothes is great for kids to play
dress-up or build a fort.
Newsprint (the paper that is used to
print the newspaper) has a multitude of uses. Because of its odor
and moisture absorbing qualities, it's an excellent liner for
kitty-litter trays, bird cages and rabbit hutches. Newspaper makes
an excellent plant mulch instead of bark, to prevent weeds. Spread
sheets of newspaper around plants and then cover with topsoil.
You can make seed pots out of
newspaper. Use existing plug pots, and shape the newspaper into the
pot. Fill with soil, and the seed. When the seedling is ready to
transplant outdoors, simply lift the 'newspaper pot' out of the plug
pot, and plant it, paper and all, in the ground. As the plant
matures, the newspaper disintegrates.
Cans, jars, and tins have countless
uses for recycling around the house. Small, colored glass bottles,
like the ones mineral water is sold in, make lovely single-stem
vases. Screw-cap bottles are excellent for making and storing your
own salad dressings. Metal boxes are perfect for storing cookies,
tea, coffee and spices. They also make great containers for holding
nails, screws, paperclips, and other small items that might
otherwise be easily lost. You can also recycle your individual
spring water bottles by refilling them from a larger container of
spring water.
Small jars can be turned into summer
lanterns and hung in the trees. Tie a string securely around the
rim, and add a tea light. Be sure the glass cools before you handle
it to replace the tea light, or remove the lantern.
Collect old toothbrushes for scrubbing
small, fragile items, or cleaning in hard-to-reach areas, especially
in the kitchen or baths.
Paper that's printed on one side is
perfectly fine for using in most printers. Make sure the paper is in
good shape, not crinkled or folded to allow smooth passage through
the printer. Print out rough drafts, a recipe from the Internet,
lists, and notes, and anything that doesn't need to be presented on
new paper.
By thinking twice about the items tossed out or recycled, you might
come up with some clever ways to extend the life of an item, and
save a little money in the meantime. Recycling inside your home also
contributes to the efforts to be kinder to the environment.
Copyright 2003
PropertySource Network |
