The workshop is a great place for reusing items formally destined for landfill. Even if you do not have a shop or craft area you can always donate items mentioned in following paragraphs to friends, schools, shops, youth centers… The concept of reusing is as limitless as your imagination.

Screws, bolts, picture hooks, plant hangers, curtain hooks, and hinges are common hardware items used in most homes. Although not overly costly when purchased a few pieces at a time, they can add up over years. Salvage any reusable hardware and parts from old cabinets, furniture or mechanical items before discarding. These can easily be organized and stored in plastic containers of different sizes. Shop with this in mind and purchase items like peanut butter or mayonnaise in clear plastic containers. These are our favorite as they are recyclable, sturdy and you can easily determine jar’s contents at a glance. When buying screws and bolts avoid small plastic packages and try to find a store that sells these items out of bulk bins. You save money and packaging too.

Nearly every office, be it commercial or home-based, may have areas of inefficiency that can be improved upon. We are not talking sales figures or profit margins or budgets, but inefficient waste and resource management. For instance, let us look at some common aspects and consider how consumption can be reduced and how to make better use of resources.

Not all paper work and receipts need to be shredded, but sometimes, for sake of security, it is necessary. This shredded paper is recyclable or it can be contributed in layers to a compost or worm bin. It can also be donated to animal shelters or pet stores where it is used in bottom of cages to help keep them clean. This will ease workloads on staff, keep operational costs down, and animals are more comfortable in their cages. The animal waste along with bedding is easily composted.