Ideas for Reusing Paper

Instead of recycling all that used photocopy paper, newspaper and junk mail try to reuse it!

Since it's almost time for Thanksgiving and winter break (for those of us with kids), and you need some ideas to keep the kids busy, try making old paper into new paper. I did this recently with my girls and they LOVED it. They've been using their homemade paper to make cards and tags for holiday gifts. Also, tearing paper into strips and then using it to make paper mache projects will keep the kids busy.

If you have a shredder (a child can do it , too), you can shred paper for your hamsters or guinea pigs. Perfect alternative to straw for those with allergies. Also, all that shredded paper can be used for packing up all the holiday gifts you need to send. It's a much better option than the packing peanuts.

If you have an exorbitant amount of paper, try using it as mulch.

Some Holiday Recycling Ideas

Now that the holidays are upon us, it is even more important to make sure we reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reduce the use of paper, envelopes and stamps by sending holiday e-cards. Although I do enjoy receiving the annual holiday cards from family and friends via snail-mail (especially when photos of families are included), I hate to admit, but I do end up tossing them. Some sites are free to use, such as http://www.bluemountain.com/. Others offer a free trial period, http://www.americangreetings.com/. A fun site, like JibJab Sendables have a section of free e-cards in the hopes that you'll become a paying member to use their witty templates for you to add some personal photos.

For holiday parties, use reusable glass or plastic ware, and cloth napkins. If you buy gifts, purchase reusable items. Try going to consignment stores or thrift shops. Remember to have your car stocked with canvas bags to tote all those gifts when shopping. No need to buy wrapping paper: wrap the gifts in fabric, newspaper, or your kids' artwork (that you don't mind not keeping, of course!) If you plan to mail your holiday gifts, be sure to reuse recyclable and recycled-content boxes and all that bubble-wrap you've been saving.

Most importantly, be sure to recycle your holiday waste from your household correctly. Be sure to contact your local recycling center to find out how, what and where to recycle items you are unsure of. Earth911 is a great site to help you out!

One Person's Trash is Another's Treasure

A big part of the recycling loop is "REUSE." I'm always lugging bags of outgrown clothes and toys to my friends' houses or donating them to charity. Both are very good recycling options. Clothing and toys are the obvious products families reuse. How about pots and pans, a table or a ladder? What if you are looking to acquire something, but don't have the extra cash?

A fantastic site to visit is Freecycle.org. Their goal is "to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." Did you catch the term "gifting?" That means anything you donate or acquire is FREE. Simply send an e-mail to the members of your local Freecycle community and provide a treasure to another individual.

Reuse Those Juice Pouches!

"Reuse" is part of the three part eco-mantra we hear so much about today: reduce, reuse and recycle. Many old products can be reused and made into useful new merchandise.

Take, for example, the impressive handbags, pencil cases and lunch bags made from different types of drink pouches. Thanks to TerraCycle , Capri Sun and the organic drink company, Honest Kids, they have found a way to keep billions of those non-recyclable drink pouches out of the overflowing landfills. Once you join the Drink Pouch Brigade, TerraCycle will not only create funky, useful bags to tote around, but they will donate up to $.02 per pouch to a charity of your choice.

For more detailed information and see what other everyday packaging you can collect, check out, http://www.terracycle.net/index.htm