Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

Part of green living is, of course, recycling; sometimes, though, reusing items can be just as effective as recycling. If you put some thought into what you're throwing away, you may find that some of your trash is your – or someone else's – treasure. Some simple ways to reuse:

• Since plastic grocery bags can't be recycled, take them back to the store and use them to bag your new groceries

• Don't throw away old books; donate them to libraries or school programs

• Get creative! Make art out of old fabric, office and school supplies, or books; if you're not the creative type, find an organization that collects such materials for artistic purposes

• Rather than using disposable paper towels, use rags, sponges, or towels to clean up messes or for cleaning

• Rather than throwing away plastic containers that take-out food comes in, wash and save them to store leftovers, vegetables, or other food in

• Use rechargeable batteries to reduce hazardous waste from dead batteries

• Go through clothes and shoes periodically (every month or so) and donate items in good condition that you don't wear to a charitable organization

• For old photos, journals, diaries, and the like that you don't want to keep, call the local historical society and see if they would be interested in taking the items

• Old appliances like refrigerators – even ones that don't work – can often be donated to charitable societies and refurbished for further use