Don't Throw That Away!

I don't know when "repurposing" became a word. Growing up 50 years ago in the rural Midwest, I consider reusing stuff a way of life. We lived by the credo: "Use it up, make it last, or do without." When it came to creatively reusing items rather than throwing them away, necessity truly was the mother of invention.

See also: Uses for old pantyhose.

I told you earlier about the knack my grandma Yeager had for reusing everything from IBM computer-punch cards to toilet-paper rolls to specimen cups to make festive yuletide decorations. I'm proud to say that the repurposing gene has made it down to me. As my poooor wife will attest, I'm notorious for shouting, "Don't throw that away!" whenever I see someone heading toward the trash bin with anything even remotely repurpose-able.

Think I'm kidding?

• I save old phone books and use the pages as window wipes, fire starters, package filler, or a substitute waxed paper for separating baked goods and other items in the freezer.
• I crumble up our eggshells and sprinkle them around garden plants to enrich the soil and naturally deter slugs and other crawling pests. Or, in the spring, I use eggshell halves filled with potting soil instead of peat pots to start seedlings.
• I reuse those pesky foam-packing peanuts instead of gravel in the base of potted plants to provide drainage and make the containers lighter to move.
• I have more re-uses for worn-out pantyhose than my wife has worn-out pantyhose for me to repurpose.

Here's a "daily-double" repurposing tip: Stuff dryer lint (which is highly flammable, so be careful) into toilet paper tubes, and use them to start the woodstove or build a fire in the fireplace.