Friday, August 07, 2009

Recycling and Saving the Budget, Too

Have you ever thought how maybe recycling can also help you during the economy?

We all know to recycle things that are recyclable in the Recycle bin that is picked up maybe every two weeks. And to take plastic grocery bags to some stores that have a place to collect them to be recycled.

There's other ways now too, ways that'll help you watch your money.Like someone the other day said they take orange peels and make them into candy. Candy they give as Christmas gifts.
How about taking old clothing that is torn and cutting them into squares and making a quilt out of them? It's summer and if your jeans has holes in the knees, make them into cutoffs.
I'm a writer and seen it done before. Maybe when you go to a writer's critique group, you need several copies of your chapter or story.Take old copies and print the new one on the other side. Then after you bring them home and copy off what you need from suggestions given, just shred it all in the shredder for the recycle bin.

Newspaper comics can be saved and used as wrapping paper. I mean, why go out and buy some, when the comics are so cool? Or take paper bags, decorated them and walla! you got bags for your gifts.

On those peanuts used in packing boxes, when you get them at Christmas, find if any place in town will take them. I saw one in my town the other days that says will take them and used them.

I saved leftover plastic containers food from grocery store and reuse them, both as bowls and to store things. Why go out and buy plastic containers for storing, when you can use these you buy anyway?

There's more things you can do to recycle and reuse, but I will quit and see if anyone leaves comments on what they do. So please, do tell me how you help save the Earth and your budget too.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everything you mentioned, plus:

--Can also use Hallmark or specialty store paper bags as wrapping paper.

--Trade in used books that you don't want to keep, or, if no stores in your area, donate them to local libraries.

--Use fronts of old greeting cards as postcards or parts of them as gift tags.

--Recycle pretty jars/bottles as gift containers. Can hold mixes, beans, pasta, beads, candies, etc.

--Use Nature's bounty as decorating material for holidays. You can spray paint pine cones, use leaves for stencils or as part of a collage, dry flowers and put in vases, etc. (Don't pick wildflowers, though. And watch out for bugs.)

--Don't trim your lawn to death. Cut it high and let it lie.

--Any of those old CDs (like the ones AOL used to send out all the time) lying around? You can paint or collage them into ornaments.

--Garbage-disposal units are energy-inefficient and non-eco-friendly. Consider composting.

--Plant non-invasive species. (Not exactly recycling but a good idea.)

--Sick of (some of) your clothes but nothing really wrong with them? Hold a swap session with similarly-size friends. (Non-compatible sizes can swap accessories.)

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Pamela K. Kinney said...

Another places for used books you don't want to keep. How about senior citizen homes (some have libraries) or homeless shelters?
Love the use of Nature's bounty! :)