Definition

• According to Consumers Union, a nonprofit publisher of consumer reports, the definition of reuse is "the recovery of materials and products for the same or a similar end use." On a system-wide or municipal level, the goal is to collect items that consumers no longer want and redistribute them to other consumers who do want them. This is different from recycling, in which the products are changed and remade through extensive processing.
  
  

Benefits

• "Reaching for Zero: A Citizens Plan for Zero Waste in New York City" says of reuse, "It eliminates waste, reduces waste disposal costs and conserves energy and materials." The plan adds that people and organizations with little money to spend can benefit from the lower prices of reused goods.
  
  

Items for Reuse

• The variety of items that can be reused is endless. Household items, such as furniture, lamps, appliances, curtain rods and dishes can be reused by another person if they are no longer wanted. Food pantries "reuse" food items such as canned goods---these items are reused in the sense that someone bought them with the intent of eating them but then decided not to do so. Cars and houses can be reused, as well as clothing and building materials.
  
  

How to Reuse

• A January 21, 1999 article in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul "Star Tribune" called "How to Recycle Your Gently Used Cast-offs" gives a thorough list of ways to reuse different types of items. It includes the kinds of organizations which will accept different products for reuse, such as old newspapers and magazines to a historical society or used clothing to a theater department. It also describes how you can sell reusable goods through auctions, garage sales, Internet postings or resale stores.
  
  

Reuse Organizations

• Certain organizations have been set up with the express purpose of gathering and redistributing goods for reuse. One such group is the Scroungers Center for Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP). This San Francisco-based organization makes reusable materials available to artists in the community. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is another reuse agency. It is set up to take either new or reusable building materials for people to build or remodel their homes at a low cost.