Many items may have a longer life than you think!  Your old cell phone can be donated to a good cause and many older items can be donated to charitable local organizations.

When remodeling or building a new home, be sure to check out the most resource efficient appliances and apply for rebates available from local agencies and retailers.

The best way to reduce waste is to REUSE everyday items!

Reuse is to use an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function. It involves taking useful products, such as furniture, books and appliances, discarded by those who no longer want or need them and redistributing them to those who do.

Why is reuse so important? Because at the same time that it confronts the challenges of waste reduction, reuse also sustains a comfortable quality of life and supports a productive economy. With few exceptions reuse accomplishes these goals more effectively than recycling, and it does so in the following ways:
 

• Reuse keeps goods and materials out of the waste stream
   
• Reuse advances source reduction
   
• Reuse reduces the strain on valuable resources, such as fuel, forests and water supplies, and helps safeguard wildlife habitats
   
• Reuse creates less air and water pollution than making a new item or recycling
   
• Reuse saves money in purchases and disposal costs
   
• Reuse generates new business and employment opportunities for both small entrepreneurs and large enterprises