One person’s garbage may be another person’s treasure. Before you throw something out, think about if you or someone else may be able to reuse it.
There are several websites and publications for how to reuse various materials including clothing, books, furniture and more.
You can also donate gently used items and vehicles to benefit local charities, books to libraries, senior centers and hospitals.
Repair is often another function of reuse operations when durable goods need only minimal repair to be fully functioning again.
Right here in the Hudson Valley you can find great deals on used items through thrift, consignment shops and second hand retailers. A thrift shop is run by a Not For Profit organization to raise money to fund their charitable causes. A consignment shop accepts merchandise on a consignment basis, paying the owners of the merchandise a percentage when the items are sold.
Another option for reuse is to fix what you already have. The Repair Cafe of the Hudson Valley will teach you how to repair your broken item.
Deconstruction is another method of reuse.
Deconstruction is the selective dismantlement of building components, specifically for re-use, recycling, and waste management. The process of dismantling structures has been revived by the growing field of sustainable, green building. It differs from demolition where a site is cleared of its building by the most expedient means and materials are either landfilled or recycled.
Deconstruction involves carefully taking apart portions of buildings or removing their contents with reuse as the primary goal. It focuses on giving the materials within a building new life once the building as a whole can no longer continue. At the end of a building’s life, demolition generates large amounts of materials that can be reused or recycled. Rather than demolish an entire building, consider “deconstructing” all or part of the structure.
