by Debbie Robus

Created on: May 08, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2008

I guess I have always been a little ahead of my time when it comes to recycling and re-purposing things. In the 70's, my mother-in-law taught me to save the (then) wax paper bags that packaged dry cereal and use them to wrap leftovers or a sandwich for a lunch sack. To this day, I rinse 3-lb. coffee cans and lids for my husband to re-purpose into containers for nuts, bolts, nails, screws, and more in the garage. An airtight coffee can houses a flashlight and small radio in our "safe room." Plastic meat containers are rinsed to become "boxes" for a variety of things.

Empty stationery boxes make great containers for note cards or CDs. Beautiful old dishes hold jewelry and colognes on my bathroom vanity table. Auctions and garage sales are my past-time and great fun. "Recycled" pillows at $3 each grace my leather living room sofa. My cabinets house Depression glass berry bowls bought by the box-load for $1.

I have a stack of glass pie plates and casserole dishes that I fill with tasty dishes for those who are sick or in need, and this dish becomes part of the gift and something to pass on, rather than toss in the trash. Truly one man's "trash" often becomes my treasure.

Not only do many of these "treasures" find their way into my cupboards and closets to live for another day, but I also have developed an "eye" for items that can be cleaned, repaired/refurbished, and resold. Lamps, art, linens, decorative accessories, silk flowers, and more can be restored and recreated into sell-able treasures for flea markets and gift shops.

We rinse our plastic water bottles and refill them with tap water. We also use hard plastic water bottles that can be washed and reused and a "spill-proof" plastic coffee mug is often my sidekick.

Since I am able to sew and do other crafts, I can re-purpose many things others would render useless. I recently turned a ladies denim jumper I had purchased at a thrift store for $2 into a laundry bag for a graduating high school senior. At the same thrift store, I found a Christmas sweater large enough to create pillows, ornaments, and more. A velvet skirt will become pillows - another will be reworked into travel bags for jewelry.

Don't have time to frequent thrift stores, garage sales and auctions? Look around your own home. Frayed towels are recycled as "car-washing rags." That bucket your dishwasher detergent came in from the wholesale club makes a great mop bucket. Finished with a Parmesan cheese canister? Save it for dispensing something else that needs to be "shaken" - or buy a chunk of cheese and grate your own (and save a few bucks!)

So much of recycling and saving the planet just takes a little imagination and some common sense. Make a point to reuse and re-purpose as much as possible while avoiding "disposable" items whenever you can. Every little bit helps, and you'll be surprised how easy it is to do your part.

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