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Recycling Just Makes Sense; Don't Discard Based on Age

© Deb Jones

Long before the Greenhouse Effect was a global concern, and before landfills were a necessity, there was recycling. In those times then, recycling was called giving and/or getting "hand-me-downs" or items proudly inherited from one's kin. Things, and people, weren't considered to be obsolete simply because they were no longer new. Things, and people, were considered to be useful as long as they had use left to them--what a concept, eh? And even people, when deemed not useful enough to work a paying job, were held in esteem for their value as purveyors of history and wisdom.

I don't have to tell you that times have changed since then, but in many ways the practice of recycling has come full circle. The impetus for recycling has shifted somewhat, but the end result is the same. I see that as a good thing.

Handmade items, though almost always superior in quality to store bought items, were looked down upon by one's peers in the years I grew up. Only second class citizens wore clothes made at home, and no one wanted to be thought of as that.

In my naivete as a growing girl, the realization that homemade and handmade relegated me to second class status, I proudly wore the clothes my grandmother sewed for me. I had clothes that no one else had; I didn't look like I came off the rack of a department store. It never occurred to me that my peers who had store bought clothes were held in higher esteem just for that fact. It never occurred to me, that is, until blue jeans became a must have for anyone's wardrobe--and Grandma had no interest in sewing denim pants for me.

Today, there is a resurgence of "coolness" to items handmade and homemade. Knitting and crocheting are being touted as if they are truly new concepts. It's okay now to be an individual. Cookie cutter fashion is no longer the norm. Homespun is quaint; just don't overdo the quaintness and you'll be accepted.

Recycling things...yard and garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, trade-ins, trade-ups--yes, these are all examples of current day recycling methods. One of the differences between today's recycling and that done fifty and more years ago is that hand-me-downs were free; these recycling methods require a person to pay for the item(s). Eras such as the Great Depression didn't allow the majority of people the luxury of choosing to pay for used things. I suppose that is a sign of a strong economy--the ability and willingness to pay for used items.

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