Throw away world (Waste disposal)

Member Name: dibuzz

Product:	Waste disposal
Date:	12/08/01 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: reduces amount of rubbish going to the landfill sites, provides people with things they wouldn't have

Disadvantages: can be time consuming, need to have good ideas about what to do with it all

We now live in a throwaway world. Nearly everything you buy comes wrapped and boxed and a lot of it is plastic which will not rot down in landfill sites.

I think we should all make a determined effort to re-use what we can. I have 3 sons and 1 daughter. I keep all the boys clothes until the youngest has outgrown them and if any are still good I pass them onto a friend. Another friend gives me all her daughter's outgrown clothes which I later pass on to a friend who gives me boys clothes. We all benefit from this and don't have to buy much new. I know of a woman who has 3 girls and won't pass down their clothes to each other. She feels it is unfair for the younger 2 to wear second hand stuff even if it is her own!

Any packaging which can be reused is kept and some of it taken to the local nursery for model making. I have used some items which would otherwise have been thrown away by putting plants in them (eg my son's potty) We have a section of the garden with weird and wacky pots and the kids love it.

Recently our council has introduced paper recycling. Once a month all the newspapers and other paper are collected. It is surprising just how much there is and it saves room in the bin.

Some people will throw anything away as it is often easier to replace than fix. A friend of mine usually brings home more from the dump than he takes. He once got a table and 4 chairs which were in good condition and only needed a lick of paint. The person dumping them couldn't be bothered cleaning them up to try and sell them so my friend took them home, painted them and sold them for £60.

If I have something I don't want but can't sell I would rather give it away than dump it. I had a hardbodied pram which people don't want to buy anymore so I gave it to the local hospital who were very pleased. They also take donations of unwanted toys.

I also keep unwanted gifts or prizes I have won (I enter
lots of competitions) for Christmas either to give as gifts or to donate to my kids' rugby club for raffles.

Before you throw something away think:
1. Could I use it for something else?
2. Could somebody else use it?
3. Could I sell it?

Summary: