Repair

• Ask how much! Before committing yourself to repairing a good, ask the serviceperson for a repair estimate! Shop around to different repair shops for the best estimate, and if its still too much, look for a high quality used good.
• Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance! Regular cleaning and maintenance of goods makes them last longer. Oil furnaces and heat pumps need yearly tune-ups, cars need oil changes, and air conditioners need their filters changed. Try checking off the same day every month on your calendar for appliance "check-ups."
• Buy quality! If it doesn't break easily then you won't have to fix it!
• Get a long-term warranty! It may cost you more upfront, but in the long run it will save you money.
• Choose the best repair service! Uncle Bob may say he knows how to fix the VCR, but he might do more bad than good. Also, tampering with some items can void the warranty.
• Keep the owner's manuals and instructions! Try keeping all of your owner's manuals and instructions in one shoebox in your closet. Any owner's manual should have information on what you can do to care for your equipment, as well as service requirements.
• For autos, ask around! Asking friends or auto clubs for recommendations may be the best way to find the best automobile repair service.
• Come prepared! Have your brand name, make, and model number of your good ready when you call! It will save you time and make you sound knowledgeable to the repairperson.

Rent

• Rent for events! Rent formalwear, bridal gowns, and costumes for special events. Also, rent tents, silverware, plates, and napkins for that once-in-a-lifetime bash.
• Raid the library! Borrow books and videos from your local library…that's what its there for!
• Renting furniture! Rent appliances, electronic equipment, and furniture if you move often or have a seasonal home.
• Rent-a-bed! Try renting a bed, cots, or cribs to turn any extra space into a home for holiday visitors.
• Rent as an experiment! If you are not sure what type of bicycle, car, sailboat, VCR, or appliance you want, rent one.
• Ask about delivery! Many rental services offer pick-up and delivery.
• Rent to get well! Renting medical equipment may help cut down on medical costs.
• Look for lease-to-own deals! Some rental services will offer lease-to-own deals, which may work well for college students.

Reuse

• Just say NO! Bringing your own bag to the grocery or clothing store can save on resources and it is a great way to spread the re-use philosophy.
• Bring your own containers! Reusing plastic margarine or yogurt containers at your grocery store or favorite lunch spot is a great way to save on waste
• Organize! Glass and plastic containers make great jars for storing food, buttons, nails, and other household items.
• "One time use" -I don't think so! Plastic tableware is often advertised as for "one time use," but they can be washed and saved.
• Close the loop! - Buy products with re-used materials in them. Look for the words "post-consumer content" on labels.
• Pile that paper! Everyone hates the piling up of mail and random scraps of paper lying around a house. They make even the cleanest house look messy. Try punching a hole in the papers and tying them with a string to make a handy message pad.
• Go nuts with peanuts! Reuse old Styrofoam peanuts for your own shipping needs, or spray paint them to use in creative projects or decorating.
• Bring your own! Going out to lunch or on a road trip? Bring a "Ziploc" bag with utensils, a cloth napkin, and a drink container to avoid the fast food trap.
• Beware! Don't forget to look for broken zippers or tears in used clothing. Some stores weed out the bad stuff, but some don't.
• Make designer rags! Did you spill red wine all over your designer shirt? Clothing and upholstery that is too far-gone to be donated can be turned into rags for cleaning.
• Test it out! If you're not sure the violin is for you, buying a used one is great way to give it a try without a large financial commitment.
• What a novel idea! Look for your favorite book in a used bookstore. Many used bookstores even have "New Release" sections with books that are only a few weeks old.
  

Other Innovative Ways to Repair, Reuse, and Recycle

In the Home

Refillable Bottles
In the United States, in 1991, less than 9% of all beer and soft drinks sold in America were sold in refillable bottles.

So, what can you do?

• Avoid the single-use container!
• Buy larger containers for milk, soda, and juice and refill your own smaller containers daily.
• Purchase refillable containers if you see them in the grocery store.

Paper
Paper is the largest percentage of garbage in landfills. Much of that paper has been used only once and then discarded. This puts a strain on our nations forests.

So, what can you do?

• Use both sides of the paper before you throw it away.
• Use paper for packing material.
• Use less paper! In today's world, telephone and e-mail communications are much more efficient than paper communications.
• Keep paper towels and napkins out of reach and difficult to get to, while keeping reusable cloth napkins and towels close at hand.
• Donate your used magazines and books to hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, nursing homes, senior centers, and child care centers, or libraries.
• Stop the flow of junk mail by contacting the agency, calendar, or company that contacted you through the mail and ask them to take you off of their list. Include a piece of mail that they had sent you to make it easier for them.

If that doesn't work, contact:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
(212) 768-7277, ext. 1888 (for information only)

You can also call 1-888-567-8688 to remove your name from pre-approved credit card offer mailing lists used by the national credit bureaus.

Light Bulbs
Light bulb glass is NOT recyclable! So to save landfill space, buy lightbulbs that last!

Buying compact fluorescent light bulbs helps you save money on your energy bill and also helps to reduce waste. Compact fluorescent bulbs last longer than regular light bulbs and help save the natural resources that would have been used in manufacturing, shipping, and packaging short-lived lightbulbs.

Batteries
We waste a tremendous amount of batteries, just to keep up with our portable lifestyle. Disposable batteries, like those in CD players and Walkmans, contain mercury and other hazardous substances that go right into the landfill. Rechargeable batteries are the largest source of cadmium in the municipal waste stream.

So what can you do?

• Use rechargeable batteries and resist buying disposable ones.
• Properly dispose of rechargeable batteries when you are finished with them.
• Recycle hazardous batteries like those in cell phones and power tools. To find out how, check out the Rechargeable Batteries Recycling Corporation website, or contact them at :

Outside of the Home

Shopping Tips
Packaging now makes up 33% of our trash, and that trash ends up burnt in incinerators or landfilled.

So, what can you do?

• Avoid impulse buying. If you are buying impulsively, that object and its packaging will soon need to be thrown away.
• Buy in bulk.
• Buy products with "post-consumer content" numbers written on their packaging.
• Avoid wasteful take-out containers or containers for microwavable food. They normally are plastic or Styrofoam and can't be reused.
• Buy bar soap instead of soap in plastic bottles. Bar soaps, on average usually require less packaging.
• If purchase from a particular brand a lot, and notice that it has an overuse of packaging, contact the manufacturer and let them know your comments.
• Bring your own paper or canvas bags with you to the check-out counter.

At the office
As much as 93% of all office waste is paper. And 77% of that paper is recyclable.

So, what can you do?

• Start an office paper-recycling program; it will save you money on your waste disposal bill.
• Make trashcans hard to find, and paper-recycling cans easy to reach.
• Take a shoebox or envelope box and stack paper that has already been used on one-side in it. Then take that paper, turn it over, and load it in fax machines and photocopiers.
• Re-use ink cartridges. Most major manufacturers have programs where you can return your ink cartridges for a discount.

Eyeglass Donations
You can donate you used eyeglasses year-round to by contacting your local Lions club or dropping your eyeglasses off at collection boxes located at various community offices and businesses. You also can drop off eyeglasses for the Lions Club at any LensCrafters store.