Are you reducing the waste stream through reuse?
To rate your "recycling savvy," indictae "yes" or "no" beside each of the activites listed below. When finished, click on the "submit" button that
follows the list.
Yes |
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1. Save and reuse boxes and packaging materials.
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2. Return extra wire hangers to the dry cleaners so the hangers
can be reused.
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3. Use glass jars for storing foods, screws and nails, and sewing
supplies.
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4. Donate old books to libraries.
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5. Donate old magazines to hospitals, clinics, personal care homes,
Veterans' Centers, and/or nursing homes.
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6. Donate unwanted appliances, household items, toys, and clothes.
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7. Save those little things, for example, ribbons, string, rubber
bands, and paper clips. You can use them over and over.
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8. Make a compost pile from your food and garden wastes.
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9. When you cut your grass, leave the clippings on the lawn or place
them in your compost pile.
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10. Old, outdated furniture can be reupholstered or slipcovered. Have
padding added to the furniture to give it a new look. Often the frame
can be modified slightly to change the way it looks.
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11. Old pieces of furniture can be repaired or finished with special
finishes such as splattering, sponging, or rag painting, which takes
little time and skill.
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12. If you change your own auto oil, take the drained oil to a local
service station or recycling center. The facility may charge you about
25 cents per gallon to dispose of your oil.
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13. Reuse scrap paper that's printed on one side. Use the blank side
for phone messages or notes.
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14. Save styrofoam peanuts and other packing materials to use with
your next fragile package.
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15. Paint and other household chemicals in their original containers
with the original labels can be shared with neighbors or a youth group
that does projects in the area.
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16. Save used gift wrap, and use it again on a smaller package.
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17. Cut old bedding, draperies, and clothes into pieces for rags, or
use them in braided rugs or patchwork designs.
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18. Remove nails and hardware from used lumber so it can be reused in
smaller projects.
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19. Use broken concrete and bricks in a rough retaining wall.
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20. Sell your unwanted items in yard sales, classified ads, community
bulletin boards, or consignment shops.
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21. Buy used products and goods when they will do the job as well as a
new item. They cost less and reusing them helps reduce waste and
conserves energy and raw materials.
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