Posted on
Apr. 22, 2009
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Green Tip Tuesday - Easy Ways to Reuse (updated)
Everyone has heard the the 3 Rs, but there's little doubt that sometimes applying these principles to daily life can take a some extra effort and work. Is it worthwhile and commendable? Absolutely, but in today's Green Tip Tuesday, we'll be taking a look at some easy ways to reuse that pose minimal hassle. When green meets convenience, we're really getting somewhere. Here's are some regular household items that are easy and convenient to reuse:
- Milk bags - Cut open 1 side, give them a wash and rinse while you're doing the dishes, and let them dry. You'll have a steady supply of tough and sturdy plastic bags that are useful for storing, well, anything that fits!
- Scrap paper - Everyone has it, use it for anything from doodles to making notes to printing out draft copies instead of wasting clean paper.
- Reuse envelopes and boxes for shipping - Open packages and envelopes gently and when it comes time to send rather than receive, cover the existing address with a label or stamp.
- Gift Bags - these things certainly pile up over time, and especially at this time of the year. Skip the wrapping paper this year and reuse a perfectly serviceable gift bag.
- Plastic Food Containers - Why buy tupperware when any number of regular grocery items come in perfectly reusable containers already? Margarine containers, tofu containers, pre-made salad containers, the list goes on and on.
- Paper Towels - a paper towel that has just been used to dry clean hands or the like can easily be dried and reused later for a dirty job like wiping plates before washing. Better yet, check out this thread in our green forum and learn about using shop towels instead of paper towels. They're inexpensive, super durable, and highly reusable.
- Sponges - Don't clean things with a dirty sponge, but don't toss it out either! 2 minutes in a microwave can effectively destroy 99% of bacteria and other harmful buildup in a sponge and prolong its usefulness (make sure the sponge is damp before you microwave it).
- Newspaper - wad it up and use it as a packing material instead of relying on foam peanuts or styrofoam.
- Coffee Tins and clean Egg Cartons - Think of the children! Schools, day cares, day camps, and kids anywhere can always use such items for arts and crafts. Keep some around the house for a rainy day children's activity or check if a if local school or daycare wants to take them off your hands.
- Old Clothes - Donate them to charity, or if you're a little more creative, consider some cool used-clothes craft projects including quilts, dog beds, gift wrap, and more.
- Old or Chipped Mugs - Use them as planters! They're practical and unique!
- Single Earrings - In a pinch, you can use a single earring as a scatter pin or lapel pin.
Here are some resources with additional tips easy reusing: RecyclyingNearYou.com and this article over at AssociatedContent.com. Have some of your own ideas to share? Let us know in our green forums.
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