Advantages of Reusing over Recycling
Green Home, Thinking Green, Video by Danny Lipford
While recycling paper, plastic, and metal is a great to reduce waste and help the environment, reusing materials is even better. With recycling you have to break the item down into raw materials to make something new, but reusing eliminates the labor and energy needed for manufacturing.
Sometimes an item can be reused in the same capacity. Another option is to convert it to a different use.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
I’ve mentioned recycling many times in the past as being an important part of green living, but let’s not forget about re-using. Both recycling and re-using are green, but re-using is just a few shades brighter. Recycling means you have to break down the item into raw materials in order to make something new. But re-using an item doesn’t expend added energy to break it down. Sometimes an item can be re-used in the same capacity. A classic example is the old glass milk bottles that were delivered to doorsteps each morning. The old bottles were taken away, cleaned and filled with fresh milk. Re-using can also mean taking something and using it in another way. This is a great example. This old door was made into a headboard for this bed. So, re-using’s not just green; it’s a great way to exercise your creativity.
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