There are many different items that can be reused to serve not only their primary purposes, but as well as other creative uses. For example, tires can be donated to schools as workout equipment, but as well as shredded and be used as the base for a turf field. Another creative use for tires is to make a tire swing, which can be hung from a tree and made so that friends and family can enjoy the fun it offers. Newspapers, bubble wrap, and cardboard can all be reused for packing and shipping items. Extra or old newspaper and bubble wrap can be wrapped within the cardboard box to provide an economically friendly way to package items. Safeway and other supermarkets have done a very good job of giving the incentive for shoppers to bring their own reuseable bags. By eliminating plastic bags and charging for paper bags, supermarkets have brought to attention the fact that shoppers must bring their reusable bags. By bringing their own bags, shoppers are saving trees as well as removing all forms of toxins that could affect the Earth. Lastly, rechargeable batteries are another for m of reuseable energy we can harness. By using rechargeable batteries, we are eliminating regular batteries that are extremely harmful to the environment. Batteries contain chemicals within them that never fully decompose can can contaminate the waters we drink as well as other organisms. Overall, there are many items we can reuse in ways we probably never thought of before.

Elias, I really enjoyed your thoughtful post and the creative alternatives you mentioned in regard to helping items serve further functions than simply their primary purposes. In particular, I thought the creative alternatives you listed for tires (workout equipment, base for turf fields, and tire swings) were very unique and noteworthy replacements opposed to disposing these large and harmful pieces of waste into landfills. As far as your opinion on plastic bags, I think you really hit the nail on the head. I agree, and think that grocery stores have done an excellent job in curtailing the public's use of plastic bags, thus bettering our environment as a result According to the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority, there were approximately 40 million plastic bags being produced and used each year prior to the ban. This came at high environmental cost: killing wildlife, depleting natural resources, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. It is for these reasons that the ban on plastic bag usage in grocery stores was crucial. However, what becomes of the m illions of plastic bags already in circulation? Like the tires you mentioned before, there are regular alternatives for plastic bags. Some include using plastic bags as stuffing for packaging, fillers for plants in pots, a method of storage, using its non-stick surface for cooking purposes, etc. Truly, the opportunities for reusing them are endless. In addition, many food banks, animal shelters, libraries, and other public institutions are often in need of plastic bags, which can be donated to these places for reuse. This is just one example of the many undiscovered methods of reusing common items that can decrease environmental harm. I believe that if society buys into the idea you mentioned about alternative reuse as a whole, we could really make a positive impact on our world.

Elias, I think that you brought up some very creative points which, if practiced, could really create a positive initiative throughout not just our local areas, but even nationwide. Your ideas on reusing tires were very innovative and also provided potential benchmarks for more ideas along the same lines. I think that you really explained the benefits of cutting down usage of plastic bags and encouraging people to use reusable bags. These plastic bags are very harmful to our environment and are very difficult to completely dispose of. By limiting the usage of these plastic bags, and charging for paper bags in grocery stores, this is a very effective way to reduce our carbon footprints and promote the use of reusable grocery bags which are much less harmful to our environment and do not have to be discarded after each use. Likewise, with the aspect of rechargeable batteries that you mentioned, along with being more environmentally friendly, rechargeable batteries are also much more cost efficient because you do not have to constantly replace these batteries. Many common t hings that we can do to reuse and recycle materials in our modern society are often being overlooked due to a lack of care and consideration for our environment and the world that we are leaving for future generations. What is very interesting is that these reusing ideas are not being considered even though they are very simplistic and really benefit us to a great extent because they are often more convenient than trying to dispose of certain materials, as well as reusing things is much more cost efficient to ourselves; so this is truly a win-win situation, we just need to take the time to go out of our way and work a little bit harder to benefit and encourage environmentally friendly ways of living.

Those are awesome creative ideas! Another item that you can reuse or hand down are old clothes. By donating your old clothes to a thrift store you are not only completing a kind gesture but reducing carbon emissions. This is easy, kind and helps preserve the environment.