While cleaning up from dinner last night, I was left with a small empty sauce jar. I rinsed it like a good recycler should and went to put it into the recycling bin. Then I thought, wait a second…how can I reuse this rather than recycle it? It took a moment, but I realized that this jar was perfect for an individual portion of soup, some leftover sauce, or to put hand lotion in after the bottle explodes in the car.
What if we all took an extra minute to think about ways we can reuse items rather than automatically recycling or throwing them out? If I do this, I know I can buy less Tupperware because I will have a collection of jars and containers I’ve saved rather than recycled. Years ago my neighbor Joe asked me why I recycled a plastic container from last night’s Chinese take-out. I explained that of course, I am a responsible person who would never just throw plastic containers into the trash. He pointed out that I was getting rid of a perfectly good container that I could reuse for household storage or to send leftovers home with friends. Little steps like this can add up. Why not give it a try?