Repurposing Paper

 Ideas for Repurposing Paper Items
🧻📃🔖📚📦

 

   Paper-based items are generally perceived as the safer and more eco-friendly alternative to plastic items. While this might be true to an extent, mass consumption and improper disposal methods limit its potential to be effective in the reduction of waste. Equally, the idea of them being better for the environment sometimes results in them being disposed of when they can still be used for other purposes.

Here are some ideas for repurposing paper:

using cardboard items to make storage systems and organizers 📁

    Cardboard waste items, such as toilet paper rolls, medicine boxes, cereal boxes, and similar materials can be stuck together and used to create functional organizers. These might work well to keep desk spaces, medications, and craft items organized and tidy. Saving a diverse range of sizes can assist in making more elaborate organizers, where large cereal boxes can store folders, pages, and books, and smaller medicine boxes and toilet paper rolls can store pencils and other miscellaneous stationery items.

reusing old calendars, pages, newspapers, and cardboard 📜 

    Old sheets of paper and cardboard can be used as protective materials to cover items that might be damaged or affected by certain activities. Old pages might be used to line floors and tables when doing craft or decorating projects involving paint and glue. Newspapers might be used to line the floors of one's car when going on hikes, or visiting areas that might be sandy or muddy. Likewise, calendars and other large sheets of paper can be used as a precautionary method of maintaining draws and cupboards near sinks through providing a protective lining between the surface, items stored there, and hazards such as water damage or scratches. 

Used paper items have a myriad of household uses. Paper bags and newspapers can also be used in the kitchen to assist in ripening fruits.

Mulch and Compost 🌱

    Non-toxic paper items can be used to improve garden spaces. Shredding or ripping paper can be used to create mulch for plants which can improve the aesthetic of plant spaces, as well as protect the nutrients present in soil and limit the growth of weeds and wild plants. Similarly, non-toxic paper can be disposed of in a well-balanced compost system to create a rich fertilizer for plants.

Other ideas include:

• making paper beads
• creating arts and crafts projects and decorations
• recycling old paper to make new paper
• using cardboard pieces as disposable paint palettes
• saving paper items as fuel for controlled fires
• saving paper cups and bowls to plant seedlings in

These are only a few of many possibilities. If you have any other ways to repurpose paper items, then feel free to share them with us!

Coping with Rainy Season Phenomena

Coping with Rainy Season

🌧

    Rainy Season presents a set of unique conditions and disaster risks that threaten the wellbeing of human livelihoods. This includes home gardens and crops. 

    Natural phenomena, such as heavy and prolonged rainfall, flooding, and strong winds possess the capacity for destruction. Crops and plant life are particularly vulnerable to weather phenomena since climate and resource availability are central to agricultural sustainability. 

What can Rainy Season phenomena do? ☔

• Flooding can result in the contamination of local bodies of water through dispersing pesticides, waste products, and other potential pollutants via surface runoff. 
• Flooding and heavy rainfall can also result in the loss of nutrients from soil, which disadvantages plant health.
• Harsh weather phenomena, including heavy rainfall and winds, as well as flooding, can result in the loss of harvests and crops as they become damaged or destroyed.
• Adverse weather conditions can also result in the destruction of infrastructure related to crops and agriculture, including plant supports, irrigation systems, and other essential items.
• Poor climate conditions can increase the susceptibility of plants to diseases and ailments.

What can we do to reduce the impacts of Natural Phenomena on plant life? 🌱

• Individuals can devise preparedness and recovery plans that aim to assist in alleviating the impacts of adverse weather phenomena.  
• Trees can provide protection against some of the adverse impacts of environmental phenomena, such as strong winds and rain. They further provide nourishment to soil as their leaves can act as a fertilizer. 
• 'Living Barriers', similar to trees, can be planted to fortify crop protection, reduce water loss through surface runoff, and stabilize soil. This can be achieved through hedges, tall grass, and similar plants.
• Harvesting rainwater during Rainy Season can also be a useful tactic in preparation for drought and hot conditions.  
• Small or domestic crops in pots and containers can be placed in sheltered areas during adverse weather conditions.

Reusing Items and Products

REUSING 'WASTE' ITEMS 
 🍶🍴🌱 

    'Reusing' focuses on the action of using an item multiple times. This is achieved through taking an old product, and finding a different novel use for it. It aims to reduce the quantity of waste that we produce and limit the need to buy new items. There are many methods of reusing items, inclusive of: 

using old cloth items as cleaning rags👚

While this is a common practice in some local households, old clothing, blankets, and other cloth items can be cut and used as cleaning or dusting rags. This reduces the need to purchase dusting cloths, and it further limits the waste produced by old cloth items that are no longer in good condition.

reusing jars, bottles, and other disposable containers 🍶

Equally, citizens can consider reusing sturdy containers as a form of storage. Glass jars can be reused for keeping preserves fresh, food storage, and as a drinking vessel. Containers, such as yogurt and butter tubs, or biscuit tins, can be saved and used to store leftover foods, or organize items, such as craft sewing kits.

reusing plastic bags 💼

Individuals can reuse plastic bags in multiple ways. Plastic grocery bags can be reused multiple times as waterproof bags to transport items, as well as as garbage bags. Likewise, they can be used in place of plastic tarps and coverings. Similarly, plastic zip-lock bags can be rinsed and reused multiple times for the storage of dry goods.

 using old gift-wrappers and paper items🎁

Citizens can additionally reuse gift-wrappers and similar paper-based materials. Gift wrapping and kite paper can be saved to wrap other gifts in the future. These same materials, including alternatives such as newspapers, magazines, and old scrap papers can be used to wrap produce that has not yet ripened. They can also be used as a replacement for tarp as a protective covering when painting, cleaning, hiking, or for when otherwise engaged in activities that might create mess.  

investing in reusable items🍴

Individuals can further invest in items that can be reused in the long term. This includes sturdy water bottles, reusable utensils, and other items that are designed to last longer and reduce the amount of waste produced in daily living.

 donating items to others that can use them🌱

Often, good items are thrown away when individuals no longer have a use for them. In promoting better waste management, individuals can donate or sell such items that are in usable condition to others that might be able to effectively use them.