FEATURE: RENEWABLES & SUSTAINABILITY
WHY REUSING IS BETTER THAN RECYCLING
Everyone has praised recycling over the years, however, nobody really talks about reusing. Even though recycling is great for the environment, it still requires a lot of energy. So, while recycling is a very good step, it shouldn’t be the first point of interest when it comes to helping the environment. In this article, sustainability expert Darren Johnson at
HomeHow.co.uk takes a look at the main reasons why reusing is a better option than recycling.
T
here are so many benefits of reusing over recycling. The main ones include less pollution, less energy use, cheaper
costs and the fun that you can have when you reuse or repurpose an item. There are so many things that you can reuse rather than recycle. In this article, we will also have a look at the main differences between reusing and recycling, as well as some additional information about reusing products to help the environment. There are many things that can be reused, and here, we will take a look at the most common items that can be reused or repurposed.
What’s the difference? When a product is recycled, it’s turned into raw materials, and these materials can be used again. Recycled raw materials are usually made into completely new products. This process uses quite a lot of energy. Reusing refers to using a product again without treating it in any way. When you reuse a product, it reduces both waste and pollution. Therefore, this process is much more sustainable. Some examples of recycled items include insulation materials that are made from plastic bottles and old newspapers or fibreglass that are made from glass bottles. Some reused items include second-hand items. The most commonly reused items are items of clothing and pieces of furniture.
Benefits of reusing There are many benefits to reusing items. Below is a list of the main benefits that come with reusing things:
It causes much less or no pollution: Recycling requires a lot of energy to complete and can cause pollution, so even recycling can come with its own dose of pollution. This is why reusing is a much better option than recycling. Reusing or repurposing products doesn’t create any pollution. This process instead makes items useful just as they are. An example of products that are great for
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reusing is clothing. New items of clothing take a large toll on the environment. With this in mind, if you choose to repurpose your clothing or buy used clothing, you are choosing the best option for the environment. It uses less energy: Recycling uses quite a lot of energy. In order to complete the recycling process, things need to be heated up, melted down, and reconstructed into a new product. In a lot of cases, including jars and glass bottles, this doesn’t make much sense. Since there is a lot of energy lost when we recycle, in some cases, it’s better to just reuse the items. For example, with bottles and jars, we can reuse them for storing or for making our own drinks. If we can’t find uses for the items ourselves, then we can give them away to people who can make use of them. For example, farmers, vendors, and artisans can usually make great use of glass bottles and jars. It’s less expensive: When we
recycle products, it means that we are buying new things. This will usually end up costing us, a company, or the planet in various ways. Instead, we can choose to reuse items instead. Items such as paper, grocery bags, ribbons, packaging, boxes, and wrapping paper can be reused for a number of things. This can save us the
cost of having to buy these items again. Also, we can buy used items such as laptops, cameras, and cars. Buying used items can save us a lot of money and can prevent things from being thrown away.
It encourages quality over quantity: When we plan out that we are going to reuse our products rather than throw them away or recycle them, then it encourages us to buy something that is higher quality in the first place. Higher quality items will tend to last for much longer and are much more likely to be able to be reused. Our culture produces a lot of waste by buying cheap and shopping recklessly. If we buy things that are meant to last, we are more likely to make conscious decisions about what we are buying. If we buy quality items such as furniture, we can pass those down through generations rather than simply throwing our old furniture out in the dump.
It is friendlier: Reusable items can be used to help us make friends. Items such as jars can be reused and turned into gifts. Clothes can be passed on to neighbours or people that we know. Old TVs, furniture, and other items can be donated, sparking conversations with strangers. Reusing and repurposing items is how we make a much friendlier and kinder world. It is more responsible: Reusing
items is much more responsible than simply recycling. Many people recycle or throw out products without even thinking twice about it, creating a cycle. When we reuse products, it makes us much more conscious of the waste that we are creating. This can make us much more likely to continue reusing products and help to reduce our waste. The more we reuse and repurpose items, the more we realise that there are a lot of opportunities to avoid waste. Reusing more and more can help us become more creative and helps to make us more aware of the burden that humanity is putting on the planet with waste. It’s a lot of fun: When you turn an old item into something new, it can be a lot of fun. Not only does it help to reduce waste, but it also allows you an opportunity to get creative, active and involved in new things. There are many things that you can repurpose. Repurposed wood and lumber can be great for budding carpenters and hobbyists. Jars and tins are great for craftwork, and old newspapers and mail can become a piece of artwork. Making things is a lot more fun than simply throwing them in the bin.
How can you reuse items? There are a number of ways that you can reuse items. Below is a list of the main ways that items can be reused for the greater good: Reuse the item. Give the item away. Sell the item. Buy used items.
Final thoughts As you can see, there are so many reasons why reusing is better than recycling. While most people think recycling is the best option for the environment, they don’t realise that reusing is actually the best option out there for protecting the environment. So next time you think about throwing out or recycling a product, think about whether you could use it again or repurpose it into something else that you can make use of. The options are endless.
JUNE 2025 DIY WEEK 27
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