What It's All About
If you can't reduce or avoid your use of something, try to think of ways to reuse it. It's the next best option before recycling because it doesn't require the resources needed to recycle something. The old-fashioned habit of sharing isn't in vogue anymore. But just think if it became a badge of honor to share items like crayons, clothes, and toys. We would save money, energy, and landfill space.
In the Beginning, Think of the End
When you are out shopping and trying to decide which products to buy, look at them closely to see if they might be reusable. If it can't be reused, is there a similar product that would suit your needs but could be reused? For example, bottled water is sold in plastic bottles that are meant to be thrown away after one use. As a result, people in the United States throw away 70 million bottles of water every single day. Instead of throwing it away, you could decorate and reuse the bottle as a flower vase or bath toy. Better yet, if you like having bottled water, buy a reusable water bottle made from a stronger material like stainless steel and just fill it with tap water. Look around your classroom. What will happen to different items when you're done using them? Do they have to be thrown away? What else could they be used for?
According to studies done in California and Massachusetts, about 2 to 5 percent of the waste stream is reusable materials. Organizations like Terracycle would put that number much higher; they continuously find second lives for discarded materials like plastic bags, plastic bottles, juice pouches, wrappers, and more. Reuse is limited only by imagination.
Re-imagine, Reinvent, Rediscover
Reusing requires a little creativity. By nature, kids are some of the most creative creatures on the planet, so get those innovative juices flowing and watch what happens. Either provide some of your own items or have the kids bring in things from home. You want a wide variety of things that could easily end up in the garbage, such as empty food containers, dried-up markers, broken toys, torn or stained clothing, packaging, and wrappers. Everything should be thoroughly cleaned, and nothing with sharp or pointy edges should be used.
Divide the students into several groups and give them each a pile of random junk to work with. What can they make? All of the items can be used to make one new item or several different items. The children should work together to reinvent a use for the junk. Set their imaginations free by allowing them to invent things that have never been seen before.
If your school has a display case, ask if your class can exhibit its projects there for a while. Post a sign asking if people can identify what materials went into each piece. Kids for Saving Earth provides many ideas for turning trash into an eco-carnival. You can even earn money through creative thinking with trash. Put your kids to work thinking of games they can make with trash.
Reusing means giving a second life to the products you've purchased new, but it also means buying things used. Are there items that your classroom or school purchases that you could buy used? How about chairs and tables or shelves and organization systems? Look into buying used items by doing a little research online at sites like eBay and Craigs list.
Second Homes for Secondhand Stuff
Just because you don't want to reuse something doesn't mean somebody else wouldn't want to. Some people have yard sales to get rid of things they don't want anymore. Ask your students to tell you about their experiences with family garage sales. If they haven't had one, suggest that they help their parents put one on. They could be making money and saving the Earth! If a yard sale isn't your cup of tea, thrift stores, secondhand stores, and antique stores all sell used items.
There are also organizations that accept donations of used items for people in need. For example, homeless shelters are often looking for people to donate clothing, coats, and blankets. Some organizations help parents who don't have very much money by collecting donations of baby blankets, clothing, toys, cribs, and strollers.
