Items, such as large or hand tools, party tents and supplies, furniture, and equipment, are widely available to rent and will save you the cost of buying, storing and maintaining them. Many things we discard may be useful to others. For example, outgrown children's clothing can be either sold on consignment or donated to second hand stores, or social service agencies who will make the goods available to those who need them. There are always great bargains to be had at second-hand stores. Other ways to provide goods for reuse range from garage or yard sales to donating items to rummage sales.
Antique stores are just another form of reuse for items that still have value and appeal.
When goods continue to change hands and find new homes, they are kept out of the waste disposal system. Children have the opportunity to learn the valuable lesson of conserving resources by converting materials that otherwise would have been thrown away into endearing collectibles. So before you pitch out those fabric scraps that have been cluttering up your storage closet, be sure to contact a local school, day care center or nursery school to see if they could be used for art activities. Our mothers and grandmothers knew the value of reuse when they made patchwork quilts and braided, crocheted and hooked rugs out of old clothes. A braided rug made from wool clothing can last for many years and has a special charm.