Trim Your Waste
Reuse
- one person's trash is another person's treasure
Reusing is a way of keeping items out of the landfill longer by extending their useful life. Try these reuse strategies:
- Buy for quality, and maintain and repair the items you do buy.
- Reuse plastic tubs and glass jars as storage containers.
- Be creative! You can cut up old greeting cards to make gift tags
or decorate packages. Use the back of your children’s artwork to send
a letter to Grandma. Ditch wrapping paper, and try using newsprint instead
(the funny pages are great). For fun re-use crafts and projects, visit
www.allfreecrafts.com/recycling. - Reuse bread bags for food storage, or take them along to clean up when walking your dog.
- Reuse the other side of papers at work and at home.
- Reuse envelopes as shopping lists, and keep your coupons inside.
- Take a reusable lunch bag or box. Use a washable plastic or glass container instead of disposable baggies.
- Donate unwanted toys, books, clothes, and household items:
Animal Welfare League Thrift Store 323-9223 Goodwill Industries 324-8638 Nearly New Shop 323-9345 Open Hands Free Store 323-5815 St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Center 325-9111 Salvation Army Store 398-1054 - Consider hosting a closet party, where you invite friends to bring unwanted clothes, shoes, and accessories and everyone can trade for “new” items. The same idea works for kitchen parties, garden parties, kiddies’ toy parties…
Fuller Center for Housing ReUse Store
The Clark County Fuller Center for Housing ReUse Store, a local non-profit, accepts used building materials and household goods. Your tax-deductible donations are offered for resale to the general public. Proceeds directly benefit Fuller Center's home building efforts in Clark County. The ReUse Store accepts donations during store hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours till 6 p.m. on Friday. Call to arrange a donation pickup for large appliances, kitchen cabinets, or furniture. The ReUse Store is located at 259 S. Wittenberg Ave., Springfield, OH, 45506. For more information, you can call 325-3069.
Freecycle.org
The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,297 groups with 9,089,196 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer. Membership is free. To sign up, go to the freecycle site here: freecycle.org