Mending and reusing the items you already own is an important component to reducing the amount of waste we create. Plus, fixing things we own or reusing them for other purposes decreases the number of items we have to buy and saves money! Thus, this month we’ll focus on learning how to incorporate methods of mending and reusing into our consumption habits.
Quick ‘n easy benefits by resuing and mending:
- Saves money
- Reduces waste from landfills
- Teaches you a new skill
- Saves raw materials that would have been used to make a brand new product
- Saves energy that would be used to manufacture, produce, and ship a new product
To learn more about mending and reusing clothes in particular, check out sources like Refinery29 and GoodonYou.
Program Ideas
- Make a bulletin board about the importance of reusables to create less waste (water bottles, reusable bags at the grocery store, etc) so that you don’t have to needlessly throw away or recycle items
- Collaborate with BEAM and Maker Spaces on campus to learn how to mend items like clothes to extend their life cycle
- Host a program that upcycles items for a useful purpose that would otherwise go to waste
- Organize a clothing swap (or other item swap!) so unwanted and neglected items can find a new life instead of the trash