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Reuse

Before we consider recycling an item we should look to see if we can reuse it.

Many items can be reused – from carrier bags to clothes, glass jars to books, real (reusable) nappies to furniture reuse schemes.

You can get your unwanted items reused with  just list them on your local Freecycle page, be prepared to give them someone for free and they'll probably collect your item from where you live. Click on the Freecycle logo to join a Freecycle Network in your area. Freecycle is also a great way of finding items you need that someone else would normally throw away.

Reuse in the community

The growth in popularity of websites where people can swap their unwanted items with others shows that people are thinking before throwing.

Many organisations have been set up in recent years to take in larger household items such as furniture, clean them up and send them to new homes in the community.

Reuse at home

The ideas are endless… Food jars can often we washed out and used to store things like buttons and screws, for instance:

• Take away containers can often be reused as freezer boxes;
  
• Electrical items such as cleaners and stereos can often be fixed by reputable experts, or used for longer (not replaced when the latest models come out);
  
• Use reusable goods such as nappies and hankies, rather than disposable ones.