Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Reduce
Of all the three, this is the hardest for me. In the past, I would shop for things that I didn’t always need. Instead of having 100 pairs of shoes, what’s wrong with just having five good pairs of shoes? I only go to the mall when I need to. My pack rat days are just about over with. I plan on having a garage sale this summer to get rid of some junk.

Reuse
Every time I go to the grocery store, I bring a long my fabric and plastic bags with me. I reuse any bottles, glass jars or boxes all the time. Fortunately, I have a large basement to store boxes that I need in the future. After parties, I reuse any plastic utensils or plates and use them at work. Our paper bags are used for dog waste. Those are the main items that I reuse often in my home. I always look for new ways to reuse items.

Recycle
The whole process is confusing. Everything has a triangle at the bottom but not everything should go into the recycling bin. You don’t really know until you call your recycling center near you. I like to collect greeting cards and make pictures out of them for my daughter’s scrapbook. How about making a paper ornament out of greeting cards? My husband’s old undershirts get cut up and made into rags for cleaning. I have made little baby doll diapers from old cotton underwear. Old socks come in handy for cleaning blinds and working on cars……you can go on and on.

My new front loader washing machine uses less water and energy. I hand-wash my dishes now instead of using my dishwasher that uses anywhere from 7 to 11 gallons of water each time. For a family of three, it takes more time to fill up a dishwasher than hand washing. Let me know if you have any ideas.

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