This has been a project tugging at my heart for a LONG time now and I’m so glad I am finally doing it, and that YOU’RE here! For those that do not know (which is probably most of you including close friends and family), I have a passion for reuse and repurposing. No, dear daughters, that doesn’t just mean taking care to put all our family’s paper and plastic and bottles and cardboard in the recycling bin, or looking through clothes and makeup that you toss out to see what great things I can claim…although that’s part of it. My passion for repurposing extends to just about everything. Buildings, cars, food…even people. My absolute favorite news stories are the ones where someone or something is given new life, a second chance. And if two things are given a second chance or new life in one project, that’s even better. Like the shelter dogs who are trained and loved by prison inmates. Or the mats for the homeless made out of plastic grocery store bags. I’m going to be highlighting those kinds of good ideas/organizations through Untrash as well as innovative products that help you to be a reuser; amazing art and home décor made from recycled/repurposed objects; books and movies that celebrate second chances; municipal districts, structures, etc. that have been given new life through repurposing; environmental initiatives; and REALLLLLLY SIMPLE and non-tacky ways to repurpose your own stuff, or responsibly get rid of it. Even great ways to use leftover food, when you don’t want it to go to waste but you don’t know what to do with it.
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It’s not that I think reuse and repurposing is going to single-handedly save the planet, but I do think an overall attitude of respecting people, places and things, and not treating everything like it’s disposable or your “privilege” to waste, can go a long way toward improving life. And, getting away from that knee-jerk reaction to “buy new” every time you need something—I’m just as guilty as the next person on that point, if I’m not “thinking” before I jump online to shop.
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That ceramic coffee mug that may be sitting on your shelf and never used, no matter how cheesy or cheap, was created by someone, somewhere. Why send it to the landfill when it could be donated to charity, planted with an herb and given as a gift, even smashed into small pieces and used to become part of a beautiful mosaic? That historic house, designed by a brilliant architect and where so many families have made so many memories, shouldn’t necessarily be torn down just because loft apartments are taking over the neighborhood. Turn the house into a restaurant or an art gallery and add character to the district! And that homeless senior dog shouldn’t be euthanized just because he’s 8 or 9 years old and not an “adoptable puppy”—for some families, a senior dog is the perfect pet.
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This is a unique, one-of-a-kind blog, for sure, and a theme I think a lot of readers will enjoy for many reasons. PLEASE feel free to comment and/or share stories, tips, etc. from your own life experience in the comments section after any post, and again, WELCOME!
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(Note: No products/companies endorsed by me or linked to on this blog are paying me to promote them, unless I disclose that, and all comments regarding products are my own opinions.)