Sustainable development blog : ecology and humanitarian aid

Unfortunately in today's society we have developed a “buy and toss” attitude as far as material things are concerned. Evidence of this is in every trash container where there are plastic cups, discarded papers and many other everyday items from our homes. All of these things go to landfills which are rapidly taking up a large amount of our planet. According to Landfill-site.com, the average person living in a developed country will produce between half a ton and one and a quarter tons of waste a year.

Picture from Landfill-site.com

Being eco-friendly means putting less in the trash. It's a matter of 'make do' instead of

purchasing new things. It saves materials, money, paper, as well as plastic and cardboard packaging. Following are just a few suggestions for everyday items that you can find a new use for instead of throwing out.

1. If you have chipped a pretty cup, use it, together with the saucer, as a planter and set it on the window sill.

2. If you have a hole in a water hose mend it with electrical tape.

3. For an egg poacher, cut the top and bottom off a tuna fish can and put it in simmering water, add the egg and you have a perfect poached egg. 4. Used aluminum foil can be scrunched up into a ball and used for a scrubber several times before being discarded or recycled.

5. The mesh that some vegetables come in is perfect to slip over the hand to scrub vegetables before cooking.

6. Old shower curtains can be used for picnic table covers, drop cloths for painting and, if you can sew, a waterproof apron.

7. The center rolls of toilet paper and paper towels are great holders for electrical cords.

8. Used mattress pads can easily be cut up and converted into oven holders or table mats with just a little imagination.

9. Anything garment with a hole in it, that has good material left, can be cut into squares and given to a group that is making quilts for the homeless. Try to use everything twice or even three times before you throw it away. These are just a few of the things you can do to help keep the landfills from overflowing with your discarded everyday items.