Picture: Southlands Sun
Scientific research clearly shows that households are major contributors to environmental degradation. This negative contribution to the environment happens through poor management of household items and materials. Which household items can be re-purposed or recycled in order to protect the environment?
While many homes and classrooms collect used paper products for commercial recycling, children can also practice hands-on paper recycling at home. They can learn to make book covers, scratch pads and create some sort of art using paper.
Try as much as possible not to toss disposable cups and plates in the trash. You would rather shred them around the base of your plants and flowers. Paper plates break down after several weeks, and help retain moisture and provide nutrients for your plants.
Old furniture
You can recycle old furniture by simply re-purposing it or reassembling it and using the wood. You can use old furniture wood to create shelves, shadowboxes or bulletin boards. With just a little ingenuity, you can cut down on your ecological footprint, save some money and re-purpose your trash.
Plastic bags if not well managed can be one of the biggest contributors to environmental degradation. Instead of throwing them around, you can wash, dry them to wrap items at home. Plastic bags can also be used as pet waste bags, or trash bins, or you can reuse them at the grocery store.
Computers can be recycled in a couple of ways, depending on the state of the machine. Giving old, working computers to friends and family members or donating them to non-profit organisations not only keeps the computer entirely out of the waste stream, but it presents computer access to someone who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Non-working computers can be sent to recycling centres where they are dismantled and valuable components are recovered.
Small jars can be cleaned and used to store nails and screws and small miscellaneous items. Tins on the other hand make great décor pieces. You can spray paint them or cover them with ribbon and fill them with flowers.
Don’t toss out old towels. You can easily cut them up into washable cleaning rags. You can also turn these items into braided rugs or even use them as dusters.
The materials listed above and recommended recycling methods if well observed can contribute to preserving the environment.
Originally appeared on Southlands Sun
