Reduce, reuse, recycle

As the world struggles with natural disasters that deplete our natural resources,
we look at how we can take the three words ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ and apply them to as many aspects of our daily lives as possible, thereby preserving our environment, helping others and saving the Earth.

BEDROOM

Bed:
Reduce:
Instead of purchasing a whole new bed, just buy a new mattress and opt for one without box springs, easier to recycle.

Reuse:
If you want to discard the bed, the sides of wooden beds and the wood strips which make up the bottom can be used to make a shaded pergola for use outside.

Recycle:
Some community initiatives will collect beds and mattresses that are still in good condition.

Clothes:
Reduce: There are a few things you can do to help your clothes last longer such as putting bars of soap in your closets or drawers to deter moths and other cloth-eating bugs, and washing your clothes inside out to reduce colour fading.

Reuse: Rather than discard those old blue jeans and T-shirts, consider using them in your bedding. Denim jeans provide great insulation for warm quilts or duvet covers. Line the side edges with the pant pockets for storage for slippers or paperback books.

T-shirts can be used as soft pillowcases. Cut off the sleeves and sew them shut along with the bottom of the shirt for comfy pillowcases or protectors, over which you slip more decorative pillow cases.

Use old clothes for cleaning. Make toys like doll clothes, stuffed animals or a bean bag chair.

Recycle:
Don’t just throw away clothes. If they are still in good condition there are many places where you can drop them to be reused and redistributed.

Lamps:
Reduce:
Like many products, some lamps are being made from recycled plastics. When shopping for a new lamp, look for them.

Reuse:
Instead of buying a whole new lamp, try making a new lampshade out of old clothes or other materials, or pick one up cheap. You can also switch to coloured lights, which will give your room a whole new look.

Hangers:
Reduce:
You can reduce the amount of waste produced by hangers by switching to metal hangers. Once a plastic hanger breaks there is little to be done to fix it, but metal hangars do not break as easily and can be reshaped if they become deformed.

Reuse:
Try using plastic hanger pieces as plant supports in your garden or house plants.

Recycle:
There are no specific places that will take hangers for recycling, but if they are still in good condition you can try donating them to a place like: a laundromat, a local shelter or hospital.

Books:
Reuse:
Instead of buying new books or disposing off ones you no longer want, try buying used books or selling them at a used book shop.

Reduce:
Instead of buying books, download ebooks. There are many sites that offer books for free or a small fee.
Project Gutenberg has over 36,000 free books.

Recycle:
Pages and most covers can be recycled along with your newspapers and magazines. You can also tear notebook or magazine pages into strips to use for crafts like paper mache or making your own recycled paper.

LIVING ROOM:

Furniture:
Reduce/Reuse:
Instead of buying a new couch or chair, try having slipcovers made. They give faded furniture a new lease on life. Pieces like dining room chairs can also be re-upholstered with new fabrics for a fresh look.

Recycle:
There are a few organisations like Dubai Municipality that you can contact about having your old furniture picked up or to find out where the nearest drop off point is.

Doors:
Reuse:
Old doors can be turned into various things such as headboards and kitchen or coffee tables.

Recycle:
Wooden doors can be recycled. Try contacting Bee’ah in Sharjah that has a Construction & Demolition Waste facility which recycles wood.

Lighting/power:
Reduce:
Use Compact florescent bulbs (CFL): They have a longer life (almost 10,000 hours) and use less energy as compared to incandescent bulbs. Use Light emitting diodes (LED): energy efficient option, affordable, long life. Also, remember to turn the lights off when you leave the room.

Other ways to help you save energy:
Dryer balls could reduce your tumble drying costs by 25 per cent.

Close all gaps around doors and windows with weather stripping to save up to 15 per cent on your cooling costs.

Reuse:
Light bulbs can be reused and turned into a planter or mini terrarium. Learn how to do it from www.instructables.com/id/Reusing-Lightbulbs-as-planters-or-mini-terrariums/

Recycle:
Collect fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent light and energy saving light bulbs for crushing, except LEDs and halogens. They can be dropped off at Dubai Knowledge Village block 8 basement area for the PreLamp Crusher.

Enpark also provides recycling facilities and has an ongoing campaign aiming to exchange old, conventional light bulbs for new, energy-efficient ones.

Rugs:
Reduce:
Keep your carpets for longer, move them around the house to liven up the decor and have them cleaned. They may seem almost as good as new.

Reuse:
Use rugs in your garden as mulch, or between rows of plants to prevent weeds; Cut up rugs for use as foot mats in cars or to line the boot; Take old mats or rugs on camping or caravan holidays to use as a doormat; Carpet padding in an old pillow case as a pet bed; make a cat scratch tower.

Air Conditioning:
Reduce:
If you want to save money on air conditioning, turning the thermostat up by just two degrees in a 1,000 square meter, one-bedroom apartment can save about Dh2,000 and nearly six tones of CO2 a year.

Reuse:
You don’t need to go out and buy new air filters all the time as they can be cleaned and reused more then once.

RECREATION ROOM

Computers:
Reuse:
If you are tech savvy or know someone who is, various parts of computers can be used to create a new one or as spare parts.

Recycle:
To donate your old computers to charity you can contact the Dubai Municipality and ask about their computer recycling program.

Batteries:
Reduce/reuse:
To reduce the strain on your wallet, buy rechargeable batteries. They can last up to two to three times longer and be recharged instead of thrown away.

Recycle:
To dispose off used batteries safely contact Emirates Environmental Group for battery collection.

Cell phones:
Reduce/reuse:
Instead of replacing your phone and throwing it away or allowing it to collect dust in a drawer, try giving it to a friend or member of the family who doesn’t have one or might be looking for an upgrade.

Recycle:
To donate used cell phones contact any etisalat branch near you.

CDs/DVDs:
Reduce:
Instead of buying CDs and DVDs, try downloading your music and movies or watch music videos and movies online for a small fee.

Reuse:
Don’t just throw your movies and CDs away; they can be used as unique beverage coasters or to make funky wall art.

Recycle:
CDs and DVD in good condition can be sold to pawn shops and secondhand stores or you could try having a garage sale. You might be surprised by how many of your neighbours covet your collection.

KITCHEN:

Water:
Reduce:
There is a simple product that can help you reduce the amount of water you use it’s called an aerator, which adds air to the water. To install it all you need to is screw it into the tip of your faucet. According to the Michigan Water Efficiency Programme, this device can reduce water flow by 12 to 65 liters per day.

Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your hands, or rinsing dishes or vegetables. Each minute you have it off saves at least 3 gallons.
Fix dripping taps and leaking toilets by replacing washers and worn parts. A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet will waste up to 15 gallons of water a day, or 5,475 gallons a year.

Place plastic bottles in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water it uses per flush.

Wash only full loads in both the dishwasher and washing machine, or set the water levels to accommodate smaller loads. Use biodegradable (phosphate-free) detergents and soaps.

Use mulch and shade netting to reduce evaporation in your garden. Mulch helps the soil stay moist, and as an added benefit, reduces weeds, which are water gluttons.

Reuse/recycle:
As odd as it may sound, water can also be reused. Try collecting left over water which you toss out of a glass when washing it, your family’s unfinished water from glasses lying around the house and water the house plants; collect water from dish washing and pour it into your toilet tank for flushing; collect water in a bucket as you’re in the shower.

Water bottles:
Reduce:
You can reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce by buying the gallon-sized bottles of water instead of the packs of small water bottles. A 5 gallon bottle holds 19 liters of water, as opposed to a 500ml water bottle.

Recycle:
Many companies that offer the 5 gallon bottles have a pick up and delivery service where they will collect the empty bottles and provide you with a full one.

Food:
Reduce:
Budget: Only buy what you can use. When grocery shopping plan meals in advance, cook then freeze them. This will save you money on wasted food, save you time during the week and provide healthy meals instead of fast food.

Reuse:
Instead of throwing away the parts of foods you aren’t going to eat, consider first what else they can be used for.

Egg shells can be used to: deter ants in your home by sprinkling crushed eggshells around the entrance of your home or in closets and on shelves; as a calcium fertiliser for your tomatoes; or as sidewalk chalk.

Fruit and vegetable peels can also be reused for compost. Avocadoes can be used as a biodegradable seeding pot.

All types of citrus rinds, apple peels, pomegranate skins, and other fruit trimmings can simply be dried on a rack or in a food dehydrator to make homemade potpourri.

Banana peels: Use the slippery side of banana peels to polish your wing tips to really make them shine.

Recycle:
There are many food items that can be composted and used as fertilizer and soil for your outdoor garden or potted plants.

Some items you can compost: Coffee grounds and filters; tea bags; plain cooked rice; paper towel rolls; stale cereal; used paper plates; nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants); old herbs and spices; stale pretzels; pizza crusts; moldy cheese; melted ice cream; old jellies; paper egg cartons; toothpicks; bamboo skewers; paper cupcake or muffin cups

General kitchen waste:
Reduce:
Avoid using plastic wrap, instead use freezer bags to store excess food as they can be washed out and reused repeatedly or put food in plastic containers. This will not only keep your food fresh for longer, but they can be stored in the freezer for a later date.

Reuse:
Jars, like those containing jams, pickles and olives can be reused. They make a well sealed container for leftovers or to store homemade jams and preservatives.

Recycle:
Cans, glass, plastics and paper can all be separated and recycled. Special bins for each material can be found through the UAE.

Cleaning products:
Reduce:
Try using an environmentally friendly line of cleaners to reduce the damage done to the environment when disposing of them. Green cleaners can be found in many supermarkets.

Reuse/reduce:
To reduce the strain on your budget and to use up the odds and ends of certain kitchen items, try making your own cleaners.

Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water
Soap - unscented soap is biodegradable can clean anything. However, try and avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
Lemon - effective against most household bacteria.
Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water and cleans wallpaper, walls and floors.
White vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors and wax build-up.
Washing soda - or SAL Soda - cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans walls and tile floors, sinks and tubs. Do not use on aluminum.
Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.
Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease and some stains.

Compiled By Caroline Kulsum, Community Journalist, Mohammad Jihad, Community Web Editor, and Heather Madore, Community Solutions Editor