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In the House - Reuse

Before we even think about recycling we should first think about reducing and then reusing our waste. Reducing waste involves considering the things we purchase and making decisions based on the waste an action or a purchase will create.

To reduce our waste effectively we need to consider things like the packaging or durability of a product and perhaps whether it can be repaired inexpensively once broken; this is very much a preventative measure and will reduce the amount of waste we create to begin with.

Reuse requires us to look at the things we throw away and consider whether they can be saved from the bin and used again, perhaps for something different to their original purpose. Reuse is all about getting the most out of items, using them again and again. Both reducing and reusing can save you some pennies, not to mention lightening the load in your dustbin.

You don’t need to be like Steptoe and Son, but there are some really great ways that you can reuse everyday items once they have fulfilled their intended purpose; and don’t forget that saying "one man's rubbish is another man's treasure" if you can't reuse it, someone else might be able to.

Look at it as giving something a second chance!

There are plenty of websites now in existence where you can get great advice on how to start reusing at home as well as forums to find homes for unwanted items in your house.

Two that we particularly like are: Junkk.com and freecycle, both organisations have been set up to assist budding reusers in their quest to find useful second lives for items ranging from coffee beans to bottle tops, you will be amazed! Both sites also have ‘local areas’ where you can see if items are available for reuse locally, and where you can put your items up for reuse.

Reuse can be something as simple as using a margarine tub to store odds and ends like buttons or furnishing a house on a budget.

There are three furniture reuse projects in Cornwall which take unwanted furniture and offer them to low income families. The Cornwall Scrapstores offer a multitude of useful items from craft materials for the kids to furniture and even paint, all collected from commercial enterprises. Reuse items can also be picked up at Recycling and Household Waste Centres as well as at one of the many car boot sales across the county.