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To reuse or not to reuse, that is the question.

I like to take old unwanted or broken things and turn them into something useful. I have been teaching my pack of tiny humans to do the same. I was recently told that this practice is disgusting. The reason being that I am teaching them to be scavengers and act like bums. Now I am curious, how does the rest of the world view this topic? Also if you would like to leave any suggestions in the comments about ways to repurpose things, I would be much obliged. Thank you for your time.
I would like to add a side note. In general I don't teach the kids to go scrounging through the landfill. But I do teach them that if they ever find themselves in a desperate situation, not to overlook a valuable resource because it is used. We go to our local thrift stores and we find things at yard sales. We reuse old broken toys as planters in the garden. We save our coffee grounds and orange peels and egg shells for the garden also. We find things on our walks that have been tossed on the ground, a button or bright rhinestone, and use them for art projects. We learn about the local plant life that can be eaten and which ones to avoid. I just showed them today what a hazelnut tree looks like. ?

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Byrd 7 Aug 21
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5

Good for you. I've been a minimalist since before it was a thing, and I have few things but keep them a long time. Little need or desire for more, but when I do, I consider used.

@Donotbelieve I have t-shirts that are more than 20 years old. I bought my winter coat for $35 at a thrift store. It's an army-issue trench with a button-out wool liner. I bought it 30 years ago. I don't know how old it was when I purchased it. I get it dry cleaned every couple of years (unless I need to do it more often). It's holding up like a champ!
Nearly every piece of furniture I own has been a hand-me-down. The pieces I've purchased have all come from thrift stores. I also use old milk crates for all sorts of things. They make excellent end tables and I never worry about leaving water rings. Anyone who knows me at all, knows I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks of my "decor". As long as stuff is functional, I'm not that concerned with what it actually looks like.

@KKGator In the last 10 years, I have purchased one casual t-shirt. And that was only because I was participating in a fundraiser to support the owner of the gym I use; she has type 1 diabetes so we did the JDRF walk. I am nearing the point where I may need to buy a few, but since I work from home (in a t-shirt) I can let them get pretty threadbare.

@Mitch07102 I cannot remember when I last bought a shirt from a store or outfitters. Mine are all from the local op shop and most were new when I bought them. It is fortunate that my idea of sartorial elegance tends to be what is left on the rack by mainline buyers.

1

It’s hard to tell. It all has to do with taste. Some objects are worth reusing and saving, some are trash. Plastic is generally indicator of cheap, wood, stainless steel, copper are usually make prettier objects. There is no shame in recovering nice things and give them a new life. Hoarding is unhealthy though.

So the answer to the question really depends on the “how”.

How much time do you invest in that? How organized and declattered are your house and garage? Do the objects you recover have an intrinsic value most people would be able to see or are they only valuable to you? These are the questions that need to be addressed to figure out your question.

That said, old objects can have soul, history, and beauty

As far as hoarding goes, I also teach that if it hasn't been used in 1 year, it's probably not needed. As to if it is valuable to others, I don't understand why that would matter. In some cases yes. When I find things to use as odd planters for when I have my annual succulent sale, it helps to pick things that others will want to buy. But if it is just something to use around the house or a decorative item or something of that nature, I don't see why anyone else needs to like it. Not trying to be rude, just curious. Also we don't often take out time in the day just to find stuff. It is usually collected along our daily walks. Or we may stop in at the recycling store in town if we have a bit of extra time on our way someplace else. Or we reuse some of the kids toys when they break. We often use them as planters and decor for our strange little garden. We say the toy has now retired to the garden. (But you have to say it in a fancy sounding accent, lol)

@Byrd I wasn’t talking about you and your family specifically, I was giving my take on the matter.

I think you and your kids should do whatever makes you happy.

@Lucignolo no worries. I didn't think you were being mean. But I am curious still as to why something needs to be valuable to others in order to be valuable to you. I suppose I hadn't even thought much about the monetary aspect of it all. I try to teach that things like money come and go, the true value of a thing, to me, is in its daily usefulness, it's ability to bring back fond memories or make you or others smile, or it's ability to do a greater good in some way, no matter how small. I want my tiny humans to know that even the most desperately poor individuals are still worth something. They still have value. I thank you for this new train of thought. I will ponder this for a bit as I collect the tomatoes that started from scraps that were going to be thrown away. A thing that has no value to others but now gives back in abundance.

@Byrd It’s not that I care what others think. I used “others” as a frame of reference. It’s very hard to establish what is healthy and what constitutes “a problem” in mental health. If one person says there’s an alien sitting in the back of the room how can we determine he is allucinating? If there are 25 people in that room and only one of them can see the alien we have to use the observation of those 24 as “the truth” against the one that’s seeing the alien.

How do we establish an object has an intrinsic value? Why is a diamond intrinsically more valuable than a plastic ring? These aren’t easy questions to answer. To some a diamond is simply a rock with very little use and value. But when it comes to cutting other very hard rocks, drilling, even drilling bones in surgery, tdiamonds are objectively better than other materials. If we talk about their beauty instead, it’s all debatable. Many artists’ art, before they are understood, is worth almost nothing. Then a famous critic says their work is amazing, or an important museum exposes their art, or a famous gallery begins selling their stuff and suddenly the value changes.

Unfortunately these aren’t easy subjects. Most of us have our peculiarities. The way we establish healthy is based on capacity to function within society, hold a job, build lasting relationships and so on. If you see they all involve others. If one doesn’t function within society, can’t hold a job, can not have lasting relationships, has no friends, or no interactions, it means people around consider that person either unrelaiable, or depressed, or weird.

Hoarding is collecting worthless objects and not being able to let go. Many of these people substitute their emotional emptiness by filling the space around them with objects that have no value and despite their lack of value, they are incapable of getting rid of these objects. See how words such as “worthless” or “objects that have no value” must be used to establish a baseline? How do you define these terms? Something can be extremely valuable to one person even if it’s made of plastic, because as humans we can attribute sentimental value to objects just as we can with people. We can objectify people, but we can also antropologize objects or animals.

So, the way you reutilize your kids’ broken toys may be artistic and extremely beautiful and creative. Nobody can determine the things you create with your boys are not amazing from their home. But in general, which is what I was trying to do, objects are worthless when most people would attribute no value to the objects. One person can say all those people are wrong, and that person could be an amazing artist, or it could be the symptom of something deeper.

I am NOT trying to suggest anything about YOU. I don’t know you, I haven’t seen your creations, I would never judge another human being. I was just trying to help you by establishing some sort of baseline. Hope it’s clear.

Tomato seeds are super valuable. Seeds have the potential of growing into plants and fruits. Most people discard tomato seeds because they don’t have the time, inclination, space, interest in growing their own tomatoes, but I respect a lot anyone that can grow their own food. You can eat food and food sustains life. That’s a huge intrinsic value from our human perspective.

@Lucignolo & @Byrd. Regarding hoarding. Does it matter if something is kept and not used? On numerous occasions I have bought books but not read them for ten or more years - it simply has not been a necessity or the information required until the time it was read. Similarly, my ever expanding bucket list frequently requires things - for instance, I hope to recommence painting to hang on walls and become skilled in trompe l'oeil paintings. I therefore have brushes and pallet knives that under an "if it hasn't been used for twelve months regime throw it out" would incur huge cost when I restart in five or ten years time. If I die before? Shrugs, "chest la vie" but I'm not going to have others influence me by calling me a hoarder because I wisely bought something now because it was offered at a very good price.

7

My ex-wife, both when we were together, and even more so after we split up, obtained much of her furniture and decore from roadside trash piles and free yard displays. Repourposed school lockers, old wash tubs, she was very creative in that way. Even had her friends keeping an eye out for useable curbside treasures. Good for you! Myself, I just tend to keep things way beyond their intended use, mostly by treating them gently! If it goes into my trash, it’s dead!

The x and I furnished an entire apartment from yard sales and discards, including a stereo and tv. We were quite proud of ourselves and would comment about it often!

I'm using a 30 maybe 40 year old washing machine. It is so old that the plastic of the top was cracking and disintegrating. Simple I just glass fibred it all with a fibre strand resin left over from a job on a motor vehicle. It looks disgusting as the glass fibre is a nasty brown orange colour but it has kept it going for four years and it looks like it will go another four. The machine cost me $20 at a deceased estate sale the family saving $50 in transport and local tip fees.

@FrayedBear I have a washer and dryer that has been in use since I moved into the house in 1992. Not sure the newer ones would last that long.

@Barnie2years dead right! The w/mc bought to wash my daughter's nappies only gave up four years ago hence why I bought the $20 one needing glassfibring mentioned above. My daughter is now mid thirties.

@Barnie2years It was quicker, more convenient and probably cheaper than preparing my own thirty + year old machine that I currently use for a saw bench.

6

All of my cheesy art is made from what others considered trash. If it isn't rotten or mostly reclaimed by the earth, it still has life in it.

And I do so love your style!

@Byrd
Why thank you very much!

I had to go look at your pics. I like your style! Really fun art.

@Freespirit64
Thank you so much!

1

I'm all for reusing within limits. When looking for a solution, a used item is fine. However, it is not OK to save unused items for that potential purpose. That is hoarding and creates a lot more problems than it solves. Live minimally and efficiently. Reuse when it serves those purposes.

Not many seem to agree with you.

@FrayedBear Probably all hoarders.

There remains a middle ground - saving some things for re-use, without getting buried in them !

I save certain things indefinitely (a minimalist hoarder). My intentions are to reduce waste though, not collect it.

2

I guess it depends how you are acquiring the items you're repurposing. Goodwill, thrift stores, garage sales are okay. Dumpster diving, not okay.

Some of my best scores came from dumpster diving near dorms and apartments in college towns right after finals.

@Coleman I got some good stuff that was sitting curbside after the spring semester ended. Most of the stuff was good, they just didn't want to mess with moving it or didn't have room for it at their parents home.

5

I’m not proud. We even go dumpster diving!

Pride doesn't come into it. It is the instinct of the hunter-gatherer providing for themselves and family.

@FrayedBear Providing really doesn't come into the question. It's more like treasure hunting.

@AstralSmoke hmmm there is that as well ?

3

I used to cut up cereal boxes to make bookmarks. I pretty soon realised I would have more bookmarks than books so stopped!

I used to do that. I'd carefully cover them with clear tape (anal...lol) to better preserve them.

If you have a garden use them for mulch, worm farms or weed control.

Also fill with seedling mix and plant with seeds in them to grow.

5

What asshole told you that? I'm guessing American, since for the most part, we think shiny and new is always best. Yep, I'm an American trashing Americans! Re-use! Repurpose! I repurpose all kinds of discarded clothing for my custom aprons...look how cute!

I need an apron and have dresses I don't wear anymore. What a great idea!

@LilAtheistLady this was actually a most horrible outfit. The skirt of apron is the pants. The top was taken from shirt.

I love the deep pockets.

2

I love going to the dumps amazing what you can find .

Sounds like your town needs to develop social and entertainment activities for its citizens or do the local councillors think that the traffic lights on main street and local churches are all that is needed?

@FrayedBear I don't live in a town and we don't need any traffic lights and unfortunetly have too many churches .

@Besalbub Agh! Even worse a rural council and churches. You have my sympathy.

4

A friend of mine was doing some volunteer work in India. They gave the kids a balloon and when it burst they cried "can`t you fix it?" For them the concept of such a disposable item was alien. Everything in their lives fixable or reusable.

Not the experience that I had with visiting Nigerians at a New Year's Eve party at a private college just north of Preston. They thought that it was the height of pleasure to make them go bang by jumping on the balloons at the start of the party but blown up and hung for decoration

They didn't do the hanging and inflation either!

6

Cultural propoganda against things like thrift and reuse has been going on for a while. We are encouraged to consume, consume, consume instead of reusing and foraging. The person giving you a hard time has bought into the consumer propoganda. You do you and keep doing good for your family and the planet.

Preach, sistah!!!!

You are simply following hunter-gatherer principles probably genetically woven into you.

3

How to reuse and repurpose whenever possible I don't own a Keurig either.

What's a Keurig, please?

@FrayedBear a ridiculously complicated way to make one cup of coffee, with lots of waste.

3

I am amazed at how wasteful and thoughtful we as a species are and have absolutely no shame in harvesting the bounty of other peoples foolishness. Amongst the most ridiculously valuable things I've been involved in scrounging are the laser head from a skin specialists dumpster, value over $500 they have a precision cut ruby in them, sold it back to the manufacturer after they contacted the skin specialist to make sure it wasn't stolen (they also gave him a lecture on the fact that these things were meant to be recycled.) The other was a number of 100 year old proceedings of the State Engineers Society with full pull out plans of major projects of the time, that had been chucked out for the quarterly council clean up, and the State Library didn't even have copies of some of them.

Have also been known to scrounge firewood, outdoor furniture, all sorts of things. Continue teaching your kids to be less wasteful rather than good little consumers. Keep up the good work!

Kimba Level 7 Aug 22, 2018

Yikes. The library thing. An analogy on how easy to see how thousands of years of history can be chucked right out the door

A brilliant story. It reminds of something heard 40 years ago of a disgruntled employee who stole from his employer. He promised all the gold connections out of machinery and walked out of the factory with a matchbox full of gold leaving the employer with a very expensive repair bill on all the equipment.

5

As I see it , this is not a question at all. I am a long time, proud scavenger ! I've been known to haunt dumpsters, home trash piles, and deserted houses. I have acquired perfectly usable (or repairable) furniture, lamps, tools, odds and ends - and even food .

Not only do I see reusing as smart, I believe if more people did it, there would be so much less waste in the world.

Your kids are lucky to have wise guidance !

For those of you that want to help keep things out of landfills - here's a site to swap stuff - all for free :
www.freecycle.com , then join your local group to post , or request items !

There is also a group on this site.

4

I reuse as much as possible before I toss or even have a yard sale. Old curtains might turn into cut pieces used for dust cloths or wiping chores. I've even used them as pretty table coverings. No one notices they're curtains. I reuse grocery bags. I haven't purchased trashbags in years. I reuse glass jars for storage; spices, coffee, bacon grease. I don't throw away plastic food containers. They make great Tupperware . I reuse dish sponges on floors and bathrooms before finally tossing.
Wooden clothes pins have turned into chip and frozen bag clips. You can paint them if you want. And of course clothes and shoes I don't wear anymore are donated to thrift stores. These are all small and virtually effortless ways to contribute your part in reducing waste.

Oh my golly! I do all of these things and have done so for so long that when I was trying to come up with examples I didn't even think to mention these ones

@Byrd I remember my mother washing out 12" plastic food bags to recycle. Now you buy them with cliplocks at one cent per bag.

2

I am pleased as punch sometimes when though it is a long time since i spent time each day thrifting...when my garbage toll for the week comes in at next to nothing. There is quite a bit of savings in packaging alone. Ifs the kits learn early and with some help it can be lucrative and creative, the market likes minds like that 🙂.

I usually only have a twelve inch sphere of landfill rubbish each week and about 100 litres of recyclable glass, tin, cardboard and paper waste each fortnight.

3

[theguardian.com]

I'm all for reusing and repairing items. Consumerism isn't healthy the way we've developed it in the US at least.

I see that even extends to photos of yourself. What was your face - a couple of chess boards? ?

3

It depends on what you reuse or repurpose.

Ex-spouses are the hardest IMO.

6

My last husband used to work at a landfill company in Houston, TX. You would not believe some of the stuff he would bring home. For example:

1)For several years my daughter and son was clothed by the new clothes he would bring home. We were told that stores would rather trash them than give them to thrift stores. Adult clothes however were shredded.

2)An entire Playboy collection in almost new condition

3)Two classic sports magazines with Mickey Mantle on the cover (one was I believe a Sports Illustrated with him as a rookie)

4)Like new classic toys

5)Gently used Persian rugs. They may have been fake, but they weren't that polythread crap.

My grandfather would go dumpster diving in the Pasadena, TX dumpsters for scrap wood. Personally, reusing things is a lot better than just throwing them away.

My mother in law used to do a lot of her Christmas shopping in the dumpsters behind retail stores. A lot of it was good stuff, maybe a button missing or a small tear. But a lot had nothing wrong with it.

2

Whoever has Lulu please give her back, I need to paint her nails.

I do try to repurpose old stuff but I am not much good with diy tools. But recycling is big here in the UK, which is brilliant.

Like most things, using tools is a learned skill.

4

I'm an artist, so even if something doesn't have a super practical use it can sometimes be turned into something beautiful

Yes!!!!

5

no that seems a good outlook to have on life plus your spending time with the younglings and teaching them skills i used to love going with my grandpa to the dump and bringing back things to repurpose

4

I am into it

7

I am increasingly aware of the impact we have on our environment. We create so much trash, pollution, etc and I would much rather give things to someone who will use them than have them go into landfills. Good for you!

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