Spring Cleaning

This warmer weather we’ve been having lately makes one’s mind turn to spring. Lots of people then start some spring cleaning. Whenever I tackle a closet or a shelf the issue becomes where to put the stuff. Throwing it out just isn’t the right thing to do. We have to remember Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I recently had a meeting with some local folks and found out that two among them had experience working at landfill sites. They said we’d be astonished to know the good stuff that’s taken to landfill sites just because people are in a hurry or they don’t know the alternatives.

If your mind has turned to “out with the old and in with the new”, keep in mind the three ‘R’s. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. 

Reducing waste means that as you clean up you consider waste prevention when making future purchases. This means that you buy goods that last a long time and are durable; that you look for products that have little packaging and are toxin free; or can be used again after their original use.

Reusing means that you repair the item, sell it or donate things you no longer want to a charity or community group like Community Care’s Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street in Picton. Reusing an item is far better than recycling as there is no reprocessing involved before it is used again.

Recycling is a process of turning materials that were destined for a landfill site to be made into valuable resources. The benefits of recycling are environmental, financial and social.  Many materials are recyclable. This list includes glass, metal, plastics and paper. It’s essential for us, as consumers, to purchase products that are recyclable. Packaging indicates this.  Composting is also considered recycling.

We sure hope that you decide to donate your good used items to Community Care’s Thrift Shop. Every person working in the shop is a volunteer and every cent raised helps County seniors live at home. The shop is open Mondays from 1-4pm and Tuesdays to Fridays from 10am to 4pm. We’re recruiting more volunteers so that we can once again open on Saturdays.  If you’re interested please call the office at 613-476-7493 and start the conversation about volunteering. For information on donating, call the shop at 613-476-1555.