We as humans are so wasteful. We have so many possessions that we just throw away or never use again. I found an article that shows a bunch of items that we all have lying around our house that could be repurposed! Such as using an old toothbrush to scrub those tight spots around the house or using old socks as cleaning rags!
https://www.kindafrugal.com/17-creative … day-items/

After doing this carbon footprint project. I came to realize just because my area doesn't do recycling as part of trash pick up, I could be using the plastic bottles in our household for so much more. We do use a lot of plastic in our home. I do a lot of gardening and found some great ways to reuse those plastic bottles. I already use gallon milk jugs as watering cans. I also take the gallon milk jugs and put small holes at the bottom to make a hand sprinkler. But in the article 27 Easy Plastic Bottle Crafts (https://www.pillarboxblue.com/plastic-bottle-crafts/), I found so much more ways. Since plastic is non biodegradable, I want to find ways to keep them out of the landfills as much as I can with my part. Check out all the creative things you can do with plastic.

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we could use less plastic, more paper and cloth bags that you can reuse, you can also reuse plastic utensils and straws, just wash them if you use them. Try not to leave trash around, especially the beach!

Try reusing a bag for your groceries!

You can use the plastic shopping bags as garbage bags or shop with them again.

We can use reusable cups

You can also use reusable water bottles

The amount of trash we use is a massive number, and all of it goes into a landfill but there are so many ways we could reuse this trash and lessen the numbers in the landfill. For example, plastic water bottles don't have to be used for just one purpose, they can be refilled with tap water or at a water fountain and used repeatedly. As well as a piece of paper, don't just use one side and throw it out, use the other side. There are also super fun activities for kids that can be making crafts out of pieces of trash like a toilet paper roll, or kleenex box. What I'm saying is not everything is just a one and done, things can have other purposes as well.

I agree with you, reusing items and materials has a positive impact on our environment and helps with climate change. Reusing is a part of the five Rs (refusing, reusing, recycling, reusing, and reducing). There are tons of examples for reusing such as pins that could be used as holding items, cardboard boxes that could be used as holding paper, and jars or paper cups be used as holding pencils in them. These are some great ways to reuse materials. As you said plastics could also be reused as many uses to us. Yes, and crafts are another important but also fun way to reuse and a good idea to teach new learners or kids. Instead of just throwing something away and buying another, reuse it. Basically, the concept is reusing as many things as we possibly can to help our environment be more friendly and reusable. If you are curious about the five Rs in general then go look at my most recent post under 'Reusing and Refusing'.

I agree with both of you. So many materials go to waste, instead of being used again. Reusing instead of wasting would have a positive impact on the environment by preventing pollution and saving energy. Lowering the amount of waste going to landfills also reduces the amount of toxicity in the water around the landfills which has a positive impact on the environment.

I totally agree with the three of you. So many people, when throwing something away, don't acknowledge the fact that they could reuse or repurpose the item they are throwing away. Not only can reusing or repurposing items be fun and a creative activity to do (depending on what you are reusing), but it can prevent your waste from ending up in landfills in turn harming the environment, and turn what would have been "waste" into "art." Other than the environment, this can save you money as you can use that object to the max instead of throwing it away and spending money on a new one. I give many specific examples in my post on the topic of "Reuse and Repurpose" that we can start doing today for a more sustainable environment

I agree, recycling can deffinetly contribute to a Greener future. After using plastic bottles and other containers, you should always recycle, wether its putting it in the recycling bin or making a craft project out of it, you should deffinetly do it. After using a plastic bottle, where do you think it goes? Well, it turns out that some of it gets dumped into the ocean and can injure or even kill Marine life, so next time you are using plastic, consider how you could reuse it.

I agree, recycling and reusing definitely will help make this plant greener because there would be less one use plastics, there would also be less green house gas emissions because we would be making less plastic and glass.

I completely agree! I recycle and refuse everything I can and it was honestly surprising how many people don’t do this! I did some research and was astonished that more people haven’t taken action and helped people who either don’t know how or don’t know where to start.

I agree reusing all kinds of trash is very good for the environment. We should all try to recycle as much as possible and try to reuse plastic we use. If something is not too dirty we should try and reuse it for something else.

I agree you should reuse everything and reuse plastic definitely and that will help you a lot so if you see trash throw it away and reuse it like definitely use glass and plastic and spend time with some of your friends and that will help you a lot

If everyone reused, we could have a much, much cleaner Earth.

I agree there are so many things we throw away that could be recycled or reused. As a planet there are a lot of things we are doing wrong

Yeah and as shown in some of the other post trash can be made to make beautiful art.

After looking at My carbon calculator results I saw that they were higher than the average for my area. Because of this, I started to think and discuss ways to lower my score with my family. We thought of ways to reuse items more times than we already do before eventually throwing them away. For clothes, we thought of finding places to give old clothes away so they have another life. For example, donating to thrift stores or giving clothes to younger family members. When it comes to purchasing new items we as a family decided to actively try and get clothes second-hand. When it comes to waste we will do better to reuse containers and jars. For example, we could reuse jelly jars as makeup brush holders or use them to hold leftovers. These were just some of the ideas we came up with that would help lower our carbon footprint by reusing and repurposing the items we already have in our house. I hope that this can help someone else to think of new ways to reuse and repurpose things they have in their house.

I really like all of your ideas.

Good idea, I should start doing some of those things in my family to lower my carbon emissions.

Instead of tossing out old items, why not give them a new lease on life? Reusing and repurposing can breathe new life into old belongings, reducing waste and our environmental impact. That shirt at the back of your closet? It could become a trendy tote bag. Those empty jars? Perfect for storing pantry staples or organizing crafts.
By embracing "Reuse & Repurpose," we cut down on the need for new products, conserving resources and energy. Plus, it's a chance to get creative and have fun! So, before you toss something, consider its potential for a new purpose.

I agree that we should reuse things that can be reused

When i change my clothes, sometimes i discard some of them. The parish church collects clothes and objects to give to people in need. In the last period, an application has spread, it's called "vinted", where all people in the world can sell and buy used things.
I think that using these methods can give new life to the items and clothes to avoid to throw them in the landfills.

Being able to reuse and repurpose as well as recycle is a very important topic. It has many benefits, mainly preventing pollution by reducing the need to harvest raw materials. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change. If you take the time to look around there are things used everyday in your home that can be repurposed. If you're a wine drinker or have a parent/guardian who is, they can be used as a non toxic fire starter. This is just one example where you could really get crafty. There is also a way to make a difference with substituting. Substituting things you use on a everyday basis can be hard but if you start little by little you will eventually make big changes. An easy way you can start with substituting is with grocery bags. Start with when you take a trip to the grocery store, don't immediately go for the plastic bags. Come prepared with your own reusable bags. Not everyone may own their own personal grocery bags but there are many stores that offer them for sale. Another thing I do in my home is saving our plastic bags. Although we're still using them we are reusing them instead of just throwing them out. This is a great example of repurposing. Another example we see everyday with people is having a personal water bottle. All this plastic is piling up fast, especially when the items we use everyday are plastic. A reusable water bottle is a great way to limit this problem. Now environment friendly options aren't always the most reasonable. We go to the store with the idea of wanting to do better. Then aren't a;ways able to when we see the prices. The glorification of wanting to do better for the environment is a problem. This makes it unrealistic for many people as well as out of reach. This is why reusing, repurposing, and recycling should be a more educated topic. It is always nice when you know you can make a change without having to do the most difficult thing.

Around 10% of CO2 emissions worldwide come from textile production. Much of fast fashion is just thrown away when it goes out of style. Most clothes are designed to last longer and, when not disposed of properly, can take hundreds of years to decompose. Not only does throwing away clothes contribute to pollution, but the creation of the clothes adds to pollution.  The pollution that the textile industry produces comes from three main areas: Dyeing, yarn preparation, and fiber production. Dyeing and finishing makes up 36%, yarn preparation makes up 28%, and fiber production makes up 15% of the pollution produced. These all also contribute to the fossil fuel problem, as they are very “energy-intensive”. Instead of throwing away clothes when you no longer want them, why not donate them to thrift stores? Thrift stores are a great place to get clothes on a budget and buying used clothes helps to cut down on the CO2 emissions produced by throwing them away. Thrifting clothes not only serves a practical use, but an aesthetic one as well. Thrifting can provide a larger range of styles of clothes than just what is in fashion. Some thrift stores are non-profit organizations, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, and provide jobs for many people. To help combat the pollution produced by the textile industry, we can shop at non-profit thrift stores such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and ReStore.
Another way the textile industry contributes to pollution is by washing clothes. Every year, about 500,000 tons of microfibers are sent out into the ocean by washing clothes. Washing machines do not have small enough filters to catch the microfibers, so when the clothes are washed and the tiny plastics are released they are not caught. They often go through sewage treatment plants and are not caught. They are found everywhere throughout the world, from the peaks of high mountains to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. They can also cause serious health issues such as genetic disruption and poisoning. Not only does washing clothes contribute to pollution, so does the washing machine itself. In addition to using excessive amounts of water to clean clothes, it also “emits an estimated 62 million tonnes of CO2-eq greenhouse gases each year”.

https://goodwillsouthtexas.com/the-trut … ft-stores/
https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2023/1 … ach%20year.
https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrime … ach%20year.
https://planetcare.org/en-int/pages/washing-clothes-pollutes-oceans-with-microplastics#:~:text=Because%20washing%20machines%20don't,and%20travel%20down%20the%20drain.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi … nt%20years.

I think we should reuse or repurpose things. It is extremely important to reuse because then we wouldn't be producing too many waste, which can help save earth. Even though somethings may not be reused or repurposed, it is best to reuse things that can be. From now on I will try and bring reusable bags instead of using plastic bags, and also try to recycle things.

I agree with this method and it is probably the easiest way to reduce carbon footprint.

I agree. We might not be able to eliminate carbon footprint completely, but we can start with what we CAN do to help. Remember, small things build up to great things.

I agree with the fact that reusing items, especially bags as they are a huge cause for issues in different environments. However, you can also find ways to reuse plastic bags instead of completely discarding and disregarding them. Plastic bags from the grocery store can be used as a substitute for garbage bags for smaller garbage cans. An example would be personal garbage in rooms of homes. There are other ways you can repurpose plastic baggies. They can be used for cleaning up the waste of pets. Many people, including myself, use plastic bags to clean up after our litterbox for the cats. This ends up benefiting everyone involved. By repurposing the bags, we lessen the amount of materials used to make more products; which in turn saves energy on the company side. Repurposing other materials like cardboard boxes, glasses, and other types of plastic also produces the same result. It reduces the amount of waste produced and in return, gives environments better rates of survival and the animals in it.

https://www.ibanet.org/article/76F8D2A9 … 0blockages

https://natran.com/how-to-repurpose-eve … -doing-so/

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycli … 0in%20bulk

With carbon levels increasing a substantial way to decrease these levels is to reuse and repurpose the materials you use. Research shows that recycling and reusing materials reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reusing and repurposing materials helps sustain the environment for future generations and also reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators. Items that can be reused and repurposed include, old clothing, cloth grocery bags, and containers. Buy used items to reduce waste as well as the emissions created by producing new materials or disposing of them in landfills. When you think of recycling, you probably only think about paper and plastic. What many people don’t realize is that there are many more materials to recycle than just those. Some of these materials include cardboard, glass, aluminum, batteries, electronics, food, and lawn materials. If people don’t start trying to make a difference in the environment, then bad things will happen. For example, when specific waste, such as styrofoam, ends up in a landfill, the harmful chemicals seep into the soil, which can result in cancerous cells forming in the dirt. Neglecting to recycle plastic water bottles can pollute large bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, and rivers. One of the benefits of reusing and recycling is that using recycled materials means that there is less of a demand for new materials, which means there is less deforestation which helps decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. According to Florida Tech, each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution. When talking in terms of plastic, Florida Tech states that plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year. In conclusion, you should reuse and repurpose your items to help decrease your carbon footprint, and help save the world from the harms of climate change.