by Michael Smith
Reuse and re-purposing must always be the first step. Recycling should only be the final option.
While the slogan may indeed be “reduce, reuse, recycle” the thought in everyone's mind is only the third “R”, in the majority of cases. They all think first and foremost about “recycle” and not about reducing and reusing. Why? Because they just cannot think any other way, it would seem. They do not, as yet, have the proper developed “green mindset”. Reusing and re-purposing are much more important than recycling as they can reduce the produced waste to a great degree and also the amount that have to go to recycling.
The best case in point here would be that of glass bottles and glass jars. Instead of going off to be broken and ground down and then to be reprocessed into new glass bottles and jars – or even stuff of much less usable value – bottles and jars should be returnable again for reuse, like it used to be with bottles not so long ago when they had a deposit on them. The same could be done with all glass containers as glass can be reused ad infinitum. Collecting bottles and jars and then sterilizing them and refilling them must be a lot more energy efficient than destroying them and reprocessing them into new glass articles, mainly again bottles and jars. To me this is the wrong way round.
Only when the bottle or jar, in the end, actually suffers and accident and breaks should the glass then, finally, go the “recycle” route to be reprocessed and not before. We waste the already made product and resource by breaking them up to be reprocessed when we could use them as they are. It is not rocket science and it has been done before. Mind you, I guess that the British government would have to commission a study on this matter first which would cost millions before we could even as much as think about doing it again. Unless, of course, industry will take the lead.
Glass bottles and jars can be cleaned and then reused ad infinitum, as said already, without any effect on the produce inside the bottle or jar. Although I have not conducted a scientific study on the costing I am sure that it would be cheaper to reuse the bottles and jars – even if one would pay the consumer to return them by having a deposit of 20p on them or such, or even just 10p – than to collect the bottles for breaking up and reprocessing into new. The energy cost compared with the other cost, plus the environmental footprint must be a lot higher than that of the old way, that of deposit and return.
Years ago we had, in most countries, deposit on lemonade, soda and beer bottles. Why not introduce this system again and also do the same for glass jars. Most jars are universal ones anyway and they could be all reused. This is neither, as previously said, rocket science nor will it require a multi-million Pound feasibility study. It is feasible for it has been done before. All it needs is the will, political and commercial, to set it up.
I know that with regards to most of my readers here I am preaching to the choir in this matter but... there is always the chance, however, small, that someone who can do something reads this.
Aside from the afore deposit and reuse of glass jars there is the old way of using them ourselves.
Many readers, I am sure, remember their granddad or dad have a collection of glass jars in the workshop or garage with nuts, bolts, nails and all the other things that “might come in handy some day”. I still use jars for the same kind of purpose or, when they are about, plastic containers for this.
In reality though I would rather see those jars go back to be refilled and that too could be rather simply done if stores would be set up who would sell goods loose again and where the consumer would go with his jars and containers to be filled up.
Neal's Yard in Covent Garden, London, was set up like that many years back when one could go there with one's own jars and such to have them filled with peanut butter and other goods.
The only things that, as far as bottles and jars are concerned, that cannot be reused by the companies, are the lids.
After reuse comes re-purpose, as I said, and that we have covered also already as far as using them as containers for other things. Jars too make good storage containers for in the refrigerator for leftover foods and sauces. Do not attempt to freeze them though.
With the help of some or the other bottle cutting device bottles and jars, until such as time that they can be returned for reuse, can be re-purposed by making them into usable and saleable items, from drinking glasses to vases and more.
The lids from beer bottles and such, with the addition of a little magnet, make great little fridge magnets and there are many other ideas, I am sure, that readers can come up with. Anyone wishing to do so is welcome to share them here with the readers too.
Aside from glass jars and bottles there are many other items too that could and should be looked at first and foremost with the view of how can they be reused or re-purposed before they are tossed into the appropriate recycling bin.
Whether this be certain cardboard boxes – and let's face it, we used to make great use of shoe boxes in years gone by and I still do to this very day – or plastic containers of various types and sizes. In everything our first thoughts should be “what can I use it for or how can I re-purpose it” rather than simply “can it be recycled commercially and how and where”. First reuse and re-purpose at home or by means of being a little crafty for sale. Only when there is really no other option then the recycling bin.
I hope I have given everyone some food for thought on a number of levels. Now let's reappraise the way we do things.
© M Smith (Veshengro), September 2008
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Reuse and re-purpose – better than recycle
