Flipchart for local meetings
Delete this slide and print the
remaining slides double-sided
(preferably on cardstock). The side
with the design is the “poster” and
the white side provides notes the
lesson leader can use to make the
presentation to the local group.
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Recycle
Reuse
Reinvent
2010 District OHCE Leader Training
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Recycle, Reuse and Reinvent
• Until the mid 20th Century, most families were
very efficient and conservative in their use of
resources.
• Today, thanks to concerns about the
environment and the economy, there is
renewed interest in protecting and conserving
natural resources in addition to getting the
most from every dollar.
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What’s in our Garbage?
• The average American family generates 2.5
tons of garbage per year. About 80% of what
we throw away could be recycled, reused,
donated, composted or made into something
new.
• Looking at this chart, think about YOUR trash
and what YOU can do to change your
household’s contribution to the waste stream
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Million Btu’s per ton
Energy Use:
Recycled & Virgin Content Products
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Energy use
Recycled vs. Virgin content products
• As you can see on the chart, every product listed can be produced
more efficiently from recycled material than from raw materials.
• The obvious winners are Aluminum and Plastic.
• It is 95% more efficient to recycle than to mine the component
materials and make “new” aluminum.
• Although plastics recyclers are not as plentiful as those that take
aluminum, it is worth looking, because it is 66% more efficient to
recycle plastic than to make new
• For the remainder of products, the differences are not so stark. The
real benefits from recycling paper products is keeping them out of
landfills. Just over half of all steel/tin cans can be recycled, but the
bulk of all steel recycled comes from appliances, cars, etc. Glass can
be recycled indefinitely, but glass containers are often reused in the
home and items such as glass ovenware (Pyrex), glassware and
broken window glass are not accepted with household recycling.
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Recycle
2010 District OHCE Leader Training
8
Recycle
• In Japan, only 16% of household waste goes to
landfills. Why do you think that might be?
– About 50% of Japan’s solid waste is recycled
– Because of their limited land mass, landfills are few
and far between and residents pay a premium price to
send their garbage to the landfill
– The Japanese pay the disposal fee for durable goods
like appliances and cars when they purchase the item.
When they purchase a new item, the store picks up
the old one to repair and resell or salvage.
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Special care items
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CFL bulbs
Batteries
Tires
Electronics
Motor Oil
Fire Extinguishers
Appliances
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Special Care items
These items can and should be recycled, but require special handling
• Compact Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and
shouldn’t be thrown in the trash – most Home Depot stores have
drop off sites
• Many rechargeable batteries can be dropped off where you
recycle/return a cell phone. Car batteries should be taken back to
the retailer when you buy a new one
• Although we pay a disposal fee up front for tires, in rural areas,
many tires go home to serve as trailer tires, raised bed gardens, etc.
• Even though recyclers generally don’t pay for electronics – in fact
many charge you to bring computers – it is still important to take
these items to a places like Office Depot, Staples and Best Buy so
newer computers can be refurbished and the components
harvested from older ones. In addition to keeping chemicals out of
landfills and trash out of ditches, a ton of salvaged computer
components contains more gold than 17 tons of gold ore.
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Donate or recycle…
• Eyeglasses
• Hearing aids
• Bathtubs, toilets &
sinks
• Computers
• Cell phones
• Smoke detectors
• Ink Cartridges
• Telephones
• Books/Magazines
• Packing
foam/peanuts
• Paint
• Cars
• Clothes Hangars
• Propane tanks
(grill)
• Sewing Machines
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Donate or recycle
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Eyeglasses – most local Lion’s clubs accept used eyeglasses, in addition to local eye care
practitioners and Hearing aids can often be refurbished
Bathtubs, toilets & sinks that are in good shape can be reused in home construction for those
less fortunate. If reuse is not an option, the scrap iron from a cast iron bathtub can be
salvaged.
Many office supply stores give you credit for returning/recycling Ink Cartridges
Telephones can often be refurbished/reused
Books/Magazines should be donated or shared with friends & neighbors
Packing foam/peanuts – While you will likely use a number of foam peanuts yourself, they
have a variety of uses within the building industry
Paint – once you’ve finished with a project, keep a small amount of paint for touch-ups and
donate the paint for a community beautification project – paint is generally not recycled in
the traditional sense. Note – a glass jar with a tight fitting lid makes a great container for
leftover paint.
Cars can be donated to charity and the donor receives a tax break, but cars that have outlived
their usefulness as a source of transportation can also be salvaged
Clothes Hangars – many dry cleaners accept used hangers and a few will give you a discount
when you bring a bundle of hangers back.
Propane tanks (grill) – be sure to return empty propane tanks when picking up another tank
Sewing Machines – with renewed interest in home sewing, if your old sewing machine is in
working order, give it to a relative who needs a machine or to the local community center or
Goodwill store
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Never Recycle:
• Aerosol Cans
• Brightly colored
paper
• Ceramics/pottery
• Disposable Diapers
• Hazardous Waste
• Household Glass
• Juice boxes/coated
cardboard
• Medical Waste
• Wet paper
• Napkins/paper
towels
• Pizza Boxes
• Plastic bags &
plastic wrap
• Plastic coated boxes
& plastic without
recycle symbol
• Plastic screw on
caps
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Never Recycle these items
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Aerosol Cans – unless the recycle symbol is present
Brightly colored paper – the strong dyes can contaminate the recycling mix
Ceramics/pottery items have different properties than glass and cannot be recycled
Disposable Diapers – at this point we have no way to recover the component materials
Juice boxes/coated cardboard – the coating that keeps moisture from leaking through keeps this
paper product out of the recycle bin
Wet paper of any kind shouldn’t be recycled – but it’s a good component in the compost pile
Napkins/paper towels – because of their intended purpose, these items can harbor bacteria and be
unusable
Pizza Boxes often have grease stains or stuck-on food and both can contaminate a batch of recycled
paper
Plastic bags & plastic wrap that have been in direct contact with food are hard to recycle because it
is impractical to wash
Plastic coated boxes & plastic without recycle symbol should be reused as long as possible, but
because they are a combination item, they can’t be recycled with today’s equipment
Plastic screw on caps
Hazardous Waste & Medical waste - this sounds very obvious, but be sure you are aware of
everything that falls into this category.
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Reuse
2010 District OHCE Leader Training
16
Reuse
• If you do not live near a recycling center,
reusing items may be your best option.
Reuse is less expensive than:
– Recycling
– Incineration
– Composting
– Adding to a landfill
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Use these more than once:
• Dry Cleaning Bags
• Butter/Margarine
wrappers
• Plastic grocery bags
• Plastic bread
clips/twist ties
• Plastic produce
baskets
• Spray bottles
• Mesh bags
• Pantyhose
• Laundry bottle caps
and scoops
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Cereal Bag liners
Glass jars
Shoe Boxes
Worn out towels,
sheets
Computer paper
Paper Bags
Leftover building
material
Egg cartons (for nonfood uses)
Holiday greeting cards
Outdated phone
books
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Use these items more than once
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Use Dry Cleaning Bags to cushion clothing when packing (or to protect out of season clothing in the
closet)
Butter/Margarine wrappers can be used to butter a dish before baking
Plastic grocery bags can go back to the store to be used again, they are great liners for small waste
baskets and they are invaluable when cleaning the cat’s litterbox
Plastic bread clips/twist ties are great for closing up bags (like Powdered Sugar) that don’t come
with a closure
Plastic produce baskets are great for organizing small items in the pantry or garage
Spray bottles – any clean spray bottle can be used until the spray mechanism fails
Mesh vegetable bags make great scrubbers
Pantyhose in addition to wearing pantyhose with a run under slacks, they are great for
straining/filtering and storing onions to dry
Cereal Bag liners are great to separate ground beef patties before freezing and they can also double
as a disposable bag for decorator icing
Glass jars can be reused indefinitely, since the component materials do not interact with other
substances
Shoe Boxes can transport baked goods or become the foundation for a diorama
Worn out towels & sheets can be cut up for cleaning rags, line the dog house, etc.
Paper Bags can generally be used several times before recycling. If the paper become stained or
dirty, crumple the bag and use to start a fire in the fireplace
Leftover building material can become the foundation for all types of crafts
Egg cartons – especially the paperboard cartons - are great for starting seedlings for transplanting
Holiday greeting cards – the card fronts can be used for a number of crafts
Tear out the pages you rely on from your outdated phone book and put them in a folder in your car
for reference
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Reuse of food containers:
• Glass containers can be reused for all foods –
but should not be used for pressure canning
• Reuse other materials as follows:
• Foods with similar chemical composition
• Foods that will be exposed to the same type
of process
• Do not reuse porous materials such as:
• Paper
• Paperboard
• Expanded foam
• Do not reuse microwave packages with
browning/crisping functions
• It is best not to reuse containers for foods with
strong odors
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Source: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service
Reuse of food packaging
Although studies of the safe reuse of food packaging materials have been limited, the following
general guidelines apply:
• Packages from products other than food should never be used as food containers. Similarly,
plastic trash bags (unless labeled as “safe for food storage”) should never be used to store
food.
• Glass can be reused for all foods, regardless of what food was originally packed in the glass
container. However, single-use jars should not be used for foods processed in a pressure
canner.
• Reuse food packaging for foods with similar acidity, sugar, fat or alcohol content or foods that
will be exposed to the same type of processes.
• In general, do not subject food packages to heat unless instructions on the original package
give heating information.
• Do not reuse porous packaging such as paper, paperboard & expanded foam (Styrofoam) as
air pockets can trap bacteria.
• Do not reuse microwave packages that contain materials to enhance browning or crispness.
• Avoid storing foods with strong odors or flavors in reused food packages. The packaging
material might absorb the chemicals that produce the odor or flavor and transfer them to
other foods.
• If materials are safe for use in a microwave, they are generally labeled.
• If you store a non-food item in a food container, do not reuse the container for food storage.
• Use only “food grade” paper or plastic in direct contact with food.
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Reinvent
2010 District OHCE Leader Training
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Reinvent
Definitions:
Reinvent – to bring back into existence
Revive – to bring back to life
• 98% of all textile items that go to landfills
could be reused or reinvented
• With a plan, all leftover food can be part of
another dish
• Most furniture has more than one life
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An old t-shirt can become:
• A shopping bag
• A pillow case
• A throw pillow
• A child’s dress
• A new shirt
• A quilt or throw
• A rug
• A craft supply
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What can you do with an old t-shirt?
• In addition to the things listed here, what are
some things you might do with an old t-shirt
(besides cut it up for rags)?
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Re-invent in the Kitchen
• Keep a “soup” container in the freezer
• Slow cook leftover roast beef, pork or
chicken & shred for sandwiches or
tacos
• Mix leftover pasta & veggies with
Italian dressing for a quick salad
• Puree celery, onions and peppers and
freeze in ice cube trays
• Make croutons or breadcrumbs from
stale bread
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Reinvent in the Kitchen
• Leftover food should be cooled quickly and re-heated or used in
another dish within 2-3 days. If you can’t use it within that time,
chop and freeze and use within a month or so.
• Keep a 2-3 quart container In the freezer to collect small amounts
of leftover meat and vegetables (including broth). When it’s full,
make a pot of soup.
• Slow cook leftover roast beef, pork or chicken and shred for
sandwiches or tacos
• Mix leftover pasta and vegetables with Italian dressing and chill for
a salad
• Puree or “juice” celery, onions and peppers and freeze in ice cube
trays and add to soups and sauces for flavor
• Too much bread—make croutons (cut in cubes before drying) or
breadcrumbs (dry the while slice—then crumble)
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Reinvent your kitchen/yard waste
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Compost reinvents waste
• Composting is nature’s process of decomposing
organic materials into rich soil, known as
compost. Anything that was once living will
decompose. Composting is an accelerated version
of what happens in nature. By composting your
organic waste, you are returning nutrients to the
soil so the life cycle can continue. To learn more
about composting, visit the OSU Extension Center
• Your handout lists items that can and cannot be
composted
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How could you reinvent
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Orphan socks?
Old jeans?
Your fabric stash?
An old dresser?
An ugly couch or chair?
Clothing that is too big or too
small?
• Scrapbooking papers
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How could you reinvent?
• Ask members to call out ways one might
reinvent some of the items on the list.
• Then ask what skills are needed to reinvent
those items
• Do they have the needed skills?
• Do their neighbors or their children?
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Money-Saving Skills
Do it yourself
Professional
Minor sewing repairs
Sewing kit - $5
Replace buttons - $6
Hem a skirt - $9-12
Make Soup
Less than 50¢/serving
Canned soup - $1/serving
Take out - $3-7/serving
Take care of your
wardrobe
Wash & iron at home
< 25¢/item for water,
energy, starch, etc.
Launder/press @ cleaners
$2-3 for shirts
$3-4 for pants
Clean with household
products
A gallon of vinegar - $2.50
A box of baking soda - $.75
A gallon of brand name
cleaner $7-8
Replace AC/Furnace
Filters
Cost of filter - $10-15
Cost of a service visit $125 and up
Grow a garden
Seed & fertilizer - $5-10 for
a small garden
$50-75 at the grocery store
Even more for organic
Source: MSN Money
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Ten skills everyone needs today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make minor sewing repairs/alterations
Create a household budget/balance a checkbook
Make soup
Know how to comparison shop
Take care of your wardrobe
Clean your house
Bake in the microwave
Apply paint
Replace screens/filters
Put together a resume
Most of these skills are still taught in Home Economics classes. As school
budgets tighten, be sure your local school boards know that Family and
Consumer Sciences Education (home economics) teaches important life skills.
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