Reuse Centre's Emerald Award Success

Last month, the Reuse Centre received an Emerald Award from the Alberta Emerald Foundation, in the category of Government Institution. Emerald Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding environmental achievements and excellence across all sectors in Alberta.

Since opening in 2007, the Reuse Centre has diverted thousands of tonnes of reusable items from landfill and provided affordable items for reuse for individuals and organizations. We continue to see significant growth in the amount of items donated for reuse. In 2015, City of Edmonton residents and organizations donated 243 tonnes of items. That's an average of 20 tonnes per month, or more than 1 ETS bus. Processing and sorting all of these donations is no small feat! Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers sort through and organize all of these donations.

Reuse Centre staff and volunteers are thrilled and honoured to be recognized by the Alberta Emerald Foundation for our positive environmental impact. We look forward to continuing to divert more and more waste from landfill through reusing.

Thank you to all of our customers who purchase and donate items, and to our volunteer partner groups. We wouldn’t be where we are now without your support!

 

Canada Day DIY Ideas

Happy Canada Day! Why not celebrate Canada's 149th birthday this year by exercising your DIY skills? Create some holiday decor to celebrate the national holiday in style. Check out these simple reuse craft ideas to try out with your family!

Canada Day Wind Sock

A great backyard decoration that shows your pride for Canada! Upcycle a tin can and decorate with red and white paint, ribbon, and a maple leaf stencil. Add some old keys or cutlery to turn it into a patriotic wind chime. Learn how on Creative Mama on a Dime

Canada Day Jar Centerpiece

Make a statement on your table. Create a charming patriotic centerpiece by upcycling a mason jar! Don’t forget your red and white paint with a signature maple leaf on the front. Read more at Love Create Celebrate

Canada Day Bunting

You cannot decorate a party without some bunting! Try this Canada Day themed bunting using upcycled books. Add some flair by decorating with red and white buttons. Find out more at Simple As That Blog

Happy Canada Day Crafting!

Jenny (Staff)

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father’s Day is right around the corner but don’t fret if you haven’t been able to find anything in the stores yet. Here are some great gifts that you can make by repurposing items laying around the house.

For the Dad that loves to garden: Floppy disk plant holders

These are very cute and are sure to brighten up any space! Floppy disks are a thing of the past now but it’s likely that many of you still have some lying around the house. These aren’t hard to make. Simply gather up as many floppy disks as you require (min. 5 for every planter) and a glue gun, then go plant shopping!

Full details on: BRIT + CO

For the Dad that loves winter: Handwarmers

While not in season at the moment, these will be very useful come winter. You can be creative making these! Use some fun patterned fabric, perhaps you have an old t-shirt that you love but it no longer fits, or an ultra-soft blanket that has a stain on it. You’ll need to cut out two, ¾ inch squares from your fabric of choice to make each handwarmer. Sew the two pieces of fabric together, fill with rice, and sew the handwarmer closed.

See detailed instructions here: Rae Ann Kelly

All you need to do is pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds before you’d like to use them! That’s it! A very practical and comforting gift.

Here’s a fun gift for kids to make: A Father’s Day trophy

The idea is to cut out a trophy shape from cardboard and decorate it with all sorts of fun things found around the house, such as dried pasta, sparkles, buttons, beads, plastic jewels, etc. Once the items are glued on and the glue is dry, the trophy can be spray painted gold for a nice finishing touch. Photos can be added afterwards too. 

Check out this blog for more details: Smart Class


Happy Crafting!

-Tamara (Volunteer)

May Reuse-It Item - VHS Tapes

May's Reuse-It Item is VHS tapes! We get a lot of them here at the Reuse Centre, and so many of our customers tell us that they'll be bringing their old VCRs out of retirement, after finding some of their favourite classics in the store.

Image source: Reuse Centre staff

With the advent of DVDs, Blu-Ray DVDs, and streaming services, many of us have old or unusable VHS tape collections. If you don't plan on watching them, what do you do with all of those old tapes? Our blogger team has taken up the challenge! We've pulled together a few of our favourite VHS upcycling ideas from around the web.

Siao

I am constantly running out of storage containers and space. Plastic VHS cases are great for organizing smaller items, and it's super easy to stack them onto a shelf. Make a small label for the spine of the case and you are set!  If the black cover bores you, you can have a small craft session with the kids to decorate the exterior.

Tamara

In this age of technology where new gadgets and systems are produced almost constantly, there's a high likelihood that you have some old VHS tapes that have become dust collectors. There's a number of things you can do with them so they don't just end up in the garbage. Take, for instance, this easy to make pen holder:

You only need 4 tapes, glue, and some sturdy cardboard. In fact, I wouldn't think you have to limit yourself to making just a pen holder with this idea! This container could also be used to store kitchen utensils (spatulas, wooden spoons, and the like), fake flowers, and probably a lot more. Put your creative hat on! 

Get the full instructions at Hipcycle.

Vanessa

A VHS coffee table would make a great addition to a family or rec room! It’s super easy to make, and is sure to be a conversation piece. Add a touch of nostalgia by using your favorite movies!

Get the tutorial at Instructables.

Sarah

I love this VHS tape pencil case idea! You could also use these for sorting and storing craft supplies, like buttons or bobbins of thread. Get the tutorial at Taylor Rae Luster Flights of Fancy.

Do you have a collection of old VHS tapes? Blow the dust off, and get creative! Share your ideas in the comments below!

Please note that the Reuse Centre only accepts commercially recorded VHS tapes, and blank tapes still in the packaging. Home recorded VHS tapes should be disposed in the garbage.

Turn Them In and Win!

Spring has sprung! All around the city, Edmontonians are cleaning out closets, basements, and garages.

There are so many great places in Edmonton that accept unwanted items for reuse, including charities, second hand shops, and the Reuse Centre, of course!

But do you know what to do with items that aren't in good condition, or that aren't accepted for reuse?

The City of Edmonton is asking residents to take household hazardous waste and items too large for regular garbage collection to an Eco Station.

Eco Stations are convenient waste drop-off facilities for all types of residential waste and they play an essential role in Edmonton’s integrated waste management system.

Items such as old electronics, paint, batteries and cleaning products can be turned in for free at one of the City’s four Eco Stations where they will be recycled and disposed of properly. This type of waste is harmful to the environment if not handled correctly and should not go into the garbage.

Eco Stations also accept large and bulky items such as sofas, mattresses, tables and yard waste which cannot be set out for regular collection. Please note that fees will apply for these items.

To say thank you for disposing of your household waste properly, Eco Stations are giving away movie passes from April 25 to May 9. Visit an Eco Station for your daily chance to win.

For locations and more information please visit Edmonton.ca/EcoStations

Post-Holiday Tissue Paper Crafting

Now that the holiday season is behind us, here is one way to minimize the household waste from everyone's favourite part of the holidays — the gift giving!

Tissue paper is a lovely addition to any present, but has few uses after everything has been unwrapped. One reuse idea is to use it for a lovely family arts and crafts session! All you need are scissors and glue, some warm water, a cup, your leftover tissue paper, a sheet of wax paper, and a paintbrush or sponge to make amazing artwork.

Directions

1. Cut your wax paper a little larger than you'd like your tissue paper art to be.
2. Dissolve the glue in warm water (I find that a ratio of 1:2 works well) in your cup.
3. Cut up your tissue paper into small pieces, to be glued onto the wax paper (squares or rectangles are a good shape to start with).
4. Sponge some glue mixture onto the wax paper in the area that you'd like to start placing your tissue paper.
5. Place tissue paper pieces onto the glue spots in the arrangement you'd like. Feel free to layer!
6. Pat down the tissue paper with your sponge, and make sure that you soak them through with the mixture.

7. Leave your art to dry.

8. Trim the wax paper edges down to the size that you want.

9. VOILA! Take a step back and look at your beautiful art piece! You can frame it, or place it somewhere that it will have light shining through, for a stained-glass look.

For an extra "Wow" factor, you can cut out some aluminum foil for a focal point, or add some glitter while the glue is still drying.

Happy crafting!

-Mallory (Volunteer)

All photos provided by Mallory

February Reuse-It Item: Pine Cones

Think it's time to put the pine cones away, now that the holidays are over and Spring is fast approaching?

Think again!

This month, our blogger team has put together a list of clever ideas to use pine cones, all year round.

Michelle

I typically use pine cones for crafts and decor. It's important to me to clean out the dirt and possible bugs that may be stuck in the crevices of the scales. Check out this straightforward tutorial from Urban Jane to learn how to clean out pine cones, so you don’t have to buy them from a craft store.


Sarah

Give your feathered friends a treat, and lure wildlife to your yard with this awesome, all-natural bird feeder made from a pine cone! This is a simple, quick activity that's great for all ages. Get the instructions at Happiness is Homemade.

And because I couldn't decide which one I liked better, I also wanted to share this artificial zinnia floral arrangement, from A Fanciful Twist.

Siao

Growing up in Edmonton and having great access to the Rockies, I have a natural affinity towards the mountains.  I'm always trying to find ways to recapture those moments of adventure and calm. What better way to evoke these strong emotions and memories than to use the good old olfactory sense? Using essential oils and collected pine cones, you can easily make scented decor pieces around the home. Learn how at Apartment Therapy.

Mallory

Pine cones are one of the most common things that we can find in our everyday surroundings here in Northern Alberta, but the biggest question is: 'What can you do with them?' One answer that isn't at the forefront of most minds is to use them to add texture to paintings! It's very easy to take them apart, sprinkle them onto a canvas with some glue, and paint over them to add texture to any painting — especially more abstract pieces, as pictured here.

Painting by Bradley Collins
Image supplied by Mallory

Do you have a great idea to share? Let us know in the comments.