Reusing: The Art of the Lost “R”
Posted on Jun 29, 2009 - 09:03 AM
By: Amanda Kondolojy
In elementary school, whenever it came to environmental science, they always drilled the “three R’s” into our heads. Like hordes of mini zombies, children the world over would repeat “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle….Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” However, though children know a lot about putting things in a recycling bin and using less water when they brush their teeth, there’s not much emphasis put on the “reuse” aspect. Sure, its easy to keep a washable water bottle around the house as opposed to using a new plastic one every day, but what else can we reuse? Well, just by looking around your house, you might be surprised at how much reuse potential is in your home!
- Grocery bags Although I’m sure you take your reusable tote bag everywhere, there are undoubtedly some times when you end up at the grocery store without it, and you’ll have to take one of those tell-tale plastic grocery bags home as your badge of shame. But before you chuck the plastic bag, think on the bright side! There are plenty of ways you can use it around the house! My favorite way to reuse plastic grocery bags is to use them as mini trash-bags around the house, particularly in the kitchen or in the bathroom. You can also reuse plastic grocery bags to pick up animal waste at the park, as litter box liners, or to hold wet bathing suits/towels after a day at the pool or beach.
- Toothbrushes Although you re-use your toothbrush twice a day for six months to clean your pearly whites, once the toothbrush has started to fray, you may be inclined to throw it away. However, toothbrushes are very useful particularly for cleaning purposes. You can use an old toothbrush to polish metals, clean grout, and get in between various small surfaces in the kitchen. In addition to cleaning possibilities, toothbrushes can also be reused as fun-shaped paintbrushes for little tykes.
- Socks Whether you lost a mate to the dryer or you just have too many old maids lying around, the odd sock does have some serious reuse potential. Slip one over your hand and you have an instant dusting apparatus that can go anywhere. If you take a pair of scissors to it, you can have a decent-sized washrag suitable for cleaning surfaces around the house.
- Egg Cartons Egg cartons, once emptied, are great for storing small items. They are perfect for storing small sewing items, like thread and buttons, and can also be used to store small pieces of costume jewelry. Empty egg cartons also make great disposable watercolor palettes for kids with a flair for art.
- Milk jugs Milk jugs may just look like empty plastic containers once emptied, but there are plenty of things you can do with them. Cut them diagonally (from the top) for an instant feed scooper for your pet or livestock, or fill them with water and freeze for a non-chemically based cooling element for your next picnic.
There are plenty more ways to reuse things around your home, and finding creative ways to make items in your home work harder for you is not only fun, but it will save you money in the long run. Happy reusing!
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Show/Hide Comments (2)
By Cheap Bats on 07/03/2009
Interesting recycling suggestions. There are so many things that could be recycled if we all just stopped and thought about how much we waist.
By kitchen sinks on 12/22/2009
For cleaning the materials and kitchen use some polishes oil and soap oil to make very clean and shine and very interesting to read recycling suggestions…...
