Tips

• Choose to reuse with reusable coffee mugs, shopping bags, cloth napkins and towels, refillable pens and pencils, coffee filters, picnic plates, utensils, and lunch bags.
• Donate your old wearable clothing to thrift shops, shelters, and other charitable community programs, or bring to the Public Drop-Off area at the Recycling & Solid Waste Center.
• Find new ways to use old stuff. Check out some of the craft books from the library that show how to reuse things. Examples: making braided, hooked or crocheted rugs from old clothing; bird feeders from soda bottles; book covers and gift wrapping from brown paper bags.
• Keep a scratch pad made from already-used paper near the phone for messages. Clip sheets of paper together with a snack bag clip, large paper clip, clothes pin, or staple.
• Note cards can be made from old greeting cards. Just cut off the old greeting and write on the back side of the front section. These make great gift tags too.
• Regularly service your equipment for to extend its lifetime. Shop at used office equipment outlets or Babbages's Basement for bargains on desks, filing cabinets, room dividers, chairs and such.
• Repair, refurbish or restore housewares, appliances, electronic goods, furniture, clothing, toys and tools for longer life. Check the Yellow Pages or the Solid Waste departments Re-Directory for Repair services.
• Used goods sometimes referred to as "antiques and collectibles" make great heirloom gifts. Keep your special treasures in circulation by passing them on to the next generation.
• Vintage clothing stores may be interested in the clothes that have been cluttering up your closets for the last 30 years. Also include your worn, but not worn-out blue jeans, shirts, ties and dresses. Old styles have a way of being "in" again if we wait long enough.
• Yogurt containers and other tupperware are reusable for frozen foods and storing leftovers before you recycle them. Clean containers are also great for storing small items such as beads, crayons, or pencils.
• Zip lock bags as well as other plastic bags can be reused many times before they wear out. Plastic produce bags can be returned to most large grocery stores for recycling, or reuses your old ones the next time you visit the store. Look for the special bag recycling bins by store entrances.

Fun Facts

• There are over 6,000 reuse centers throughout the country!
• According to studies conducted in Berkeley, CA and Leverett, MA, approximately 2-5% of the waste stream is potentially reusable.