Departments
Environmental Stewardship
Incentive Programs
Recycling & Waste
Our Water, Our Future
Sustainability
Reuse Household Items
Better Than Recycling!
Most of us have heard about the three "R"s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. There's a reason they are listed in that order - it's the hierarchy of handling solid waste.
It's much better to reduce the amount of waste we generate in the first place as then we don't have to reuse it and there is no cost at all involved in either recycling it or disposing of it.
Next, of course, it's better to find a way to reuse the item in some way that it is to have to incur costs to collect, transport and remanucture the product into a new item (recycle it).
Take a few minutes and review the list below to see it there are some ways you can reuse the items you have before they hit the recycling bin!
Reusable Items
| Household Item | Reuse Options |
| Batteries | Use rechargeable batteries. Use AC adapters. |
| Building Materials | Habitat for Humanity has a great ReUse Center you need to check out. |
| Cardboard Boxes | Reuse durable cardboard boxes for storage or for mailing items to others. |
| Cars | Donate your old car to the National Kidney Foundation. Call them toll free at 1-800-488-2277. |
| Computers | Donate older computers to schools or non-profit organizations when you replace it with a newer faster machine. |
| Gift boxes, wraps and Ribbons | Reuse them! |
| Glass | Reuse glass jars for storing nuts and bolts, buttons, leftovers, etc. |
| Hangers from dry cleaners | Return extra dry-cleaning hangers. |
| Kitchen Remains | Eat leftovers. Compost the rest. |
| Lumber Scraps | Make birdhouses, mailboxes, compost bins, etc. |
| Magazines and Catalogs | Donate to schools, libraries, doctor's offices, rest homes. |
| Major Appliances | Appliances in working order can be sold or donated. |
| Motor Oil | Purchase recycled oil. |
| Newspapers | Use as packing material. Share with others. |
| Office Paper | Cut paper used on only one side into scratch paper. Let children use the backs to draw pictures. Buy recycled office products. |
| Paperboard | Reuse for craft projects. Donate to school art classes and daycare facilities. |
| Plastic Bottles | Use jug bottoms for seedlings. Purchase refillable bottles. |
| Plastic Lids | Use as coasters, plant trays, stencils (give to teachers), crafts. |
| Plastic Shopping Bags | Take the bags from your last trip back and reuse them. |
| Steel Cans | Clean, decorate and reuse as containers for item storage. |
| Textitles | Donate to friends or charities. Cut up for use as cleaning cloths, patchwork or to make doll clothes. |
| Wood Furniture | Donate to others. |
| Yard Debris | Compost grass clippings, leaves and branches. |
- City of Raleigh
- Physical Address
- 222 W. Hargett St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 590
Raleigh, NC 27602
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