REUSE

What do you recycle, or even throw away, that could be reused?

The Freecycle organisation has already saved about 1,000 tonnes of manufactured products from ending up in landfill. Read about the Birmingham branch in the latest edition of the Go Green supplement on this website: click on News, then Campaigns, then Go Green, then View the supplement - pages 4/5. Double click on the image to zoom in.

Patrice John, the editor, has collected a wealth of information to help us all to make our footprints lighter. It is worth spending time on reading the whole supplement.

The Northfield Eco Centre, which was featured in the Go Green supplement of 12th August, pages 12/13 (click View archive, after looking at the newest supplement) has a volunteer making cupboards, shelving and the reception desk using timber from bookshelves left by a previous tenant of 53 Church Road. The committee room table was found on Freecycle, and the contractor left offcuts and unused building materials for use by the Eco Centre, all of which would normally have ended in a skip. Crockery for the Centre also came from Freecycle. The Eco Centre will open in 2009.

The main items that are recycled, that we should consider reusing, are paper, jars and bottles. Paper that has a blank side can be used again before recycling; jars and bottles can be reused, not only for preserves and food uses, but also to store items elsewhere in the house. Plastic trays and containers that cannot be recycled (yet) in Birmingham are excellent for use in workshops and the garden.

We need to pause and consider if we can change any of our lifetime habits, choosing just one thing to begin with. We can all play a part in making a difference to the future of the planet.