Friday 8 March 2013 - Re-purposing

I'm sure everybody has heard of the old three R's - 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.' Well there appears to be a fourth hipster R that has joined the threesome called 'Re-purposing.'

This new concept differs to the original command to look for ways to reuse items instead of throwing them away. To reuse an item suggests we may use it again but likely for the same purpose as the first time - like refilling a jam jar with jam, or salad dressing bottle with more salad dressing.

Re-purposing something urges us to get creative and find an entirely new use for the item. Asking yourself questions like:

Could I grow a plant in it?  

Can I artfully store something in it?

Can it become a gift?

Or a shelf?

Can that bathtub work as a couch?

Re-purposing items like this not only makes us creative kind-to-the-environment hipsters but it also helps us to look at things in a different light. To become people that don't view things as rubbish for the landfill. That choose to turn would-be trash into our own treasure. And that are damn proud of our décor because of it.

I would love to take friends on a tour of our home and play a "guess what this used to be" game. "See that - that lampshade/bird feeder/pot plant/coke can/candle holder/gumboot. Now you can't get that from Ikea can you?"