Reuse .................................................... Welfare Organisations .................................................... Advertising .................................................... Repair .................................................... Containers .................................................... Stationery .................................................... Paper .................................................... Furniture and Homeware .................................................... Shopping Bags .................................................... Books & Other Media .................................................... Electrical Appliances .................................................... Bicycles .................................................... Reusable instead of Disposable .................................................... Stocking .................................................... Other Ideas

Re-using a product that you'd normally throw out is the most basic form of recycling. Reusing something for the same purpose for which it was originally intended or for another purpose (re-purposing) means that there is less waste.   • For example using a wine bottle as a vase, making an outdoor candle      holder out of used cans or using a cleaned mayonnaise bottle to store      home-made jam. •  Avoid waste from single use products. •  Avoid disposable products. •  Buy products made from recycled materials so that resources needed to     make new products are saved. •  Reusing items extends the life of the item before recycling it or disposing     of it. Welfare Organisations •  Giving your unwanted items to others or to welfare organisations is an ideal     means of reusing products.    • There are many welfare organisations, like Child Welfare,       SOS Children's Homes, MaAfika Tikkun or Animal Welfare and many       others in your area who can use or sell your unwanted items.    • Many organisations will even collect from you. Advertising •  Post a listing of your unwanted items on a community notice board, or in     the classifieds. •  There are a many websites where you can exchange or sell your unwanted     items. Reduce Reuse Recycle are the 3 Rs of waste management. The 4th R is repair. •  Instead of throwing things away, see if you can repair it so you can keep it     for longer. •  Ceramics can be glued back together. •  Stitch tears in clothing. •  Darn socks. •  Sew buttons back on. •  Glue heels and inner soles back on. •  Replace heal tips on high heels. Containers •  Keep cardboard boxes in good condition, and keep reusing them. •  Use your shoes boxes as storage containers for photos or other items.     Paint them with leftover paint or decorate them with leftover wrapping     paper. •  Reuse food containers. •  Reuse ice cream tubs, margarine containers, cottage cheese containers     and other food containers again for storing other food either in the fridge,     freezer or cupboard. •  Reuse your containers as lunch boxes. •  Reuse drinks bottles again. •  Refill your plastic water bottles instead of constantly buying new ones. •  If you must by bottled water - then buy the largest container and fill your     small bottles for ease of use. •  Rinse your ziplock bags and use them again. •  Buy cleaning products refills and reuse the original packaging. Stationery •  Reuse envelopes and postal packaging. Stick a piece of reusable paper    over the existing address. •  Use a used envelope for submitting your medical aid claims in a collection     box. •  Refill pens and pencils. Paper •  Reuse wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons. •  Cut up waste paper into note sized pieces. •  Use the other side of paper that's been printed on. •  Reuse newspaper as giftwrap or for insulation within the home. •  Refill and reuse ink cartridges. •  Donate computers to be reused. Furniture and Homeware •  Buy furniture from second hand stores. •  Antiques are reusable furniture. •  Purchase items at auctions. •  Donate or sell furniture to be reused. •  If you buy a new carpet, donate your old carpet. •  Used crockery and cutlery can be bought from antique or second hand     shops. •  Sell or give away your unwanted crockery or cutlery. Shopping Bags •  Reuse your shopping bags. •  Reuse your own bag or basket instead of buying new plastic bags. •  Use plastic bags as bin liners •  Use material shopping bags •  Use bags you have at home as your reusable shopping bags. Books and Other Media •  Trade, sell or donate books you no longer need. •  Give books and magazines to old age homes. •  Buy second hand books, comics, CDs, DVDs, games & videos. •  Reuse discs and video tapes. Electrical Appliances •  If possible get them repaired, or give them to a welfare organisation who     will repair them Bicycles •  Buy a used bike. It'll be cheaper than a new bike. Reusable instead of Disposable •  Purchase products that are reusable rather than disposable.    •  E.g. Razors •  Use a mug instead of a polystyrene cup for tea or coffee. •  Avoid disposable tableware. •  If you have disposable plastic "cutlery and crockery" - wash and reuse     them or else recycle them. •  Use rechargeable batteries. •  Use cloths that can be washed and reused instead of paper towels.     • Cut up old t-shirts or other old, stained clothes and use them as cloths. •  Re-using a product that you'd normally throw out is the most basic form     of recycling. •  Reusing something for the same purpose for which it was originally     intended or for another purpose (re-purposing) means that there is less     waste.      • For example using a wine bottle as a vase, making an outdoor candle         holder out of used cans or using a cleaned mayonnaise bottle to store         home-made jam. •  Avoid waste from single use products. •  Avoid disposable products. •  Buy products made from recycled materials so that resources needed     to make new products are saved.   •  Reusing items extends the life of the item before recycling it or     disposing of it. Pantyhose / Stockings •  Use laddered stockings as a cloth. •  It’s great to polish shoes or the car. •  Use as a strainer. •  Tie pantyhose over a wire hanger and create a pond or pool skimmer. •  Line the bottom of a flower pot to prevent soil running out. •  Use pantyhose instead of string to tie up bundles. •  Tie a tree to a stick to help it grow straight. •  Use as a stuffing for homemade toys. •  Store potatoes or onions in the length of a stocking leg. •  Put the last slithers of soap into a stocking and tie it up – you can then     finish all the small pieces. •  Make sachets of pot pourie using stockings with a pretty bow. •  Use the band of pantyhose as an elastic band to secure a bin liner in a bin. • Use the band of pantyhose or cut the stocking to create rings to use as    hairbands. •  Tie pieces of stockings over a bottle as a lid. Other Ideas •  Create a "re-use" drawer for things like paper clips, elastic bands, nails,     ribbons, received gift wrapping and bags, and other reusable items that     you'd normally throw out. •  Keep a button container. Clothes often come with a spare button. Keep     them incase you lose a button on a garment.     • Use containers like margarine or cottage cheese tubs or ice-cream tubs        that you'd normally throw out (rather recycle them) as containers to hold        the above. •  Use old toothbrushes for cleaning.     • If you have an electric toothbrush use rechargeable batteries. •  Put used teabags in your garden beds as compost. •  Make your own potpourie, using your dried roses or herbs and adding    some essential oil.

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