The Two R’s; Re-use and Reduce
“There is no harm in repeating a good thing”-Plato
‘Dzokororo ine simba’, is a long-standing Shona proverb that translates to, ‘power in repetition’. Today we are talking about tapping into that power in the context of re-using materials. Our mission in today’s short script is to cultivate curiosity to explore the many different ways through which a single product can satisfy varying needs and thereby reduce wastage as a whole.
Ways to Re-Use:
- Shop around for good second-hand shops. Know a friend or neighbour who is moving? You may want to pay their yard sale a visit, there may be a bargain waiting for you. Some of the second-hand products are of good quality and are only being sold off because the owner can’t carry them along with them to their new location. You can find an assortment of items that will be useful to you and it doesn’t hurt that they are offered all at an affordable price.
- Repair what can be fixed. Invest in some needle and thread and put on that ‘how-to’ tutorial on YouTube, it’s that easy to save your shirt with missing buttons from landing in the trash can. Furniture is falling apart? Get yourself to an upholstery shop to give your furniture a fresh new look. You may actually appreciate its new look better than the original.
- To avoid wastage look into renting or borrowing services or items that you do not use regularly. Rent out tools instead of buying them to save yourself from investing in something you will neglect to collect cobwebs in the corner of your garage.
Benefits of Re-using
- Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
- Most of the products sold as second hand are done so at a cheaper cost compared to getting to getting the original
- Reusing promotes a culture of preserving the environment and it is a way to leave something for future generations.
- Removes the hustle of recycling, there is less time and energy wasted in re-using than is involved in recycling
