Reuse
Part of green living is, of course, recycling; sometimes, though, reusing items can be just as effective as recycling. If you put some thought into what you're throwing away, you may find that some of your trash is your – or someone else's – treasure. Some simple ways to reuse:
• Since plastic grocery bags can't be recycled, take them back to the store and use them to bag your new groceries
• Don't throw away old books; donate them to libraries or school programs
• Get creative! Make art out of old fabric, office and school supplies, or books; if you're not the creative type, find an organization that collects such materials for artistic purposes
• Rather than using disposable paper towels, use rags, sponges, or towels to clean up messes or for cleaning
• Rather than throwing away plastic containers that take-out food comes in, wash and save them to store leftovers, vegetables, or other food in
• Use rechargeable batteries to reduce hazardous waste from dead batteries
• Go through clothes and shoes periodically (every month or so) and donate items in good condition that you don't wear to a charitable organization
• For old photos, journals, diaries, and the like that you don't want to keep, call the local historical society and see if they would be interested in taking the items
• Old appliances like refrigerators – even ones that don't work – can often be donated to charitable societies and refurbished for further use
