That's Not Junk Yet!
by Oliver St John
The average American household generates over a ton of garbage every year, for a national figure of well over 150 million tons. Indeed, the highest point in the state of Ohio is a huge landfill, known locally as "Mount Rumpke".
If you're reading this, you're probably familiar with the famous Three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle. We have made, and continue to make, noteworthy progress in both reducing and recycling waste materials, but the middle one of these helpful verbs frequently goes ignored.
Most of you probably have, or know someone who has, a shoebox in their attic filled with postcards or letters. This is a perfect example of reusing something rather than simply jettisoning it along with the rest of the garbage.
When you go to throw something away - or even to recycle it - take a look at it first to see if it's something else you could use it for first. And it doesn't even have to be something practical - you can certainly get creative.
There are even books such as "Fun with Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk", by Marion Elliot, with a wide variety of fun art projects kids can try their hands at safely and creatively, without the need for expensive supplies.
An upturned beer bottle cap can become a crown for a sculpted king. Plastic bottle caps, if you have them in two colors, can make a set of checkers or other game pieces - all you need is some scrap paper on which to draw a game board.
The plastic rings that seal milk jugs make surprisingly popular cat toys, and the jugs themselves can be reused for making lemonade or Kool-Aid.
Pieces of old computers, audio equipment, cars and even houses can also be used in the construction of new things - there are usually dealers out there who would be willing to take such things off your hands.
The reuse of house parts specifically is known as 'architectural salvage'. It is a growing - and increasingly popular - business. Companies such as Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley, CA, and ReHouse in Rochester, NY, are selling a huge amount of high-quality doors, windows, bathroom fixtures, even some furniture items, at surprisingly low prices. It costs little for them to procure parts which would otherwise add to our nation's landfills, and the low cost is passed on to you.
So before you cast aside your junk, take a second look. Is it really junk?