Reusing and repurposing is key to keeping a healthy environment. Reusing is preferable because it saves the energy required to dismantle and re-manufacture products. It also significantly reduces waste and pollution by reducing the need for raw materials, thereby saving both forests and water supplies. When reusing and repurposing, you can eliminate the possibility of toxic chemicals being realized into the atmosphere when being thrown away in land fills etc. An example of when I have properly reused something, is when I have old clothing, instead of throwing it away, I try to give it away to younger family members or thrift stores. Thrifting is a great way to reuse and repurpose. According to studies, the average American discards 81 pounds of clothing each year. Add it all up, and it's possible that 26 billion pounds of textiles end up in landfills across the United States. Thrifting aids in the reduction of textile waste because the clothing is recycled by allowing someone else to purchase it.