Zero Waste Singapore » Reuse

DIY and Turn Waste Into Useful Items and Art

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:50:25 +0000

Instead of throwing away old and unwanted materials and items, why not use your creativity to turn these waste into useful items and stylish decorations or art. Start a DIY (do-it-yourself) project to reuse your waste material and items. Here’s some local inspiration:

Singapore DIY

Didier Ng is a local designer who reuses waste material and objects, and turns them into original lifestyle and fashion products like lamps, furniture, bags, wallets and accessories. Each piece of her work is unique and shows that there is no such thing as waste. Some of the waste that she reuses include plastic bottles, rubber tyres, used banners and rice bags.

Maki Squarepatch turns old and used fabric materials into interesting and cute clothing, bags, toys and accessories.

There’s a TV show on Channel U called Go Green that shows you how to reuse waste materials to make useful and stylish items.

Web Resources on DIY and Crafts

More online resources on how to DIY and make crafts:

An example of how to make necklaces from old magazines and newspaper:

Click here to view the embedded video.

An example of how to make a tote bag from old clothing:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Give It Away

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:40:42 +0000

If you have old or unwanted items that are still in good condition, consider giving them to someone or donating them to charity. You can give it away through the following ways:

1. Give Away Online

The Singapore Freecycle Network is part of the global Freecycle movement that allows anyone to give away or receive items for free on Yahoo! Groups.

Pass It On is a Central CDC initiative that allows the public to donate unwanted household items in good working condition to Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).

YouSwop is an online community that allows people to exchange items for something they need for free.

2. Give to Charity

The Salvation Army operates Family Thrift Stores that receives donations-in-kind from the public and companies, and resells them to support social programmes. You can find a list of the locations of Family Thrift Stores and donation bins at the Salvation Army website.

The Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery operates the 88 Recycling Kiosk where volunteers sort out, repair, and repack all the collected items from the public. Items that are acceptable include TV sets, hi-fi sets, radio sets, electric fans, PCs (CPU, monitor only), shoes, belts, soft toys, newspapers, books, wheelchairs, and walking aids.

The Tzu Chi Recycling Station and the monthly Recycling Day collects items like clothes, electrical appliances, school bags, leather, belts, shoes, soft toys, CDs, etc.

You can also visit the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) website and search the eMatch service for donation needs by non-profit organisations.

3. Use the Recycling Programme

Old clothing and soft toys or electrical items can be placed in the recycling bags or bins under the National Recycling Programme. These items are usually sold by the recycling collectors. Contact your recycling collector to check what used items can be placed inside the recycling bag or bin.

Sell for Cash

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:30:11 +0000

If you have old or unwanted items that are still in good condition, consider selling them away for cash. You can sell them through the following ways:

1. Sell to Traders

Cash Converters operates retail stores that buy and sell unwanted goods. It’s a convenient way for you to sell your items. Visit the Cash Converters website to see what items they want to buy and their locations in Singapore.

Sell your used items to the karang guni men or to the “Collectors and Traders for Multiple Waste Streams, Electrical Items, Furniture and Clothing” listed in this NEA website.

2. Sell Online

You can sell anything online at eBay. Just register as an eBay seller, create your item listing and sell online. Check out the eBay website to learn about selling.

CozyCot provides a Swap service for users to exchange beauty or fashion products. You can do a free swap of your item or sell it to someone who wants it.

3. Place an Ad

Place a free online ad on MOCCA or ST701 to sell your item. Or you can place a newspaper Classifieds ad in The Straits Times.

Share, Borrow or Rent Tools and Items

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:20:54 +0000

Some tools in the house such as the hammer, screwdriver, electric drill, handsaw, ladder and toolbox are not used frequently. If you have these tools, share them with your relatives and friends. If you don’t have the tools, you can ask around and borrow them. By sharing and borrowing, you reduce the need to buy new tools and free up storage space.

You can also borrow or share other items like newspapers, magazines, party decorations, cutlery, kitchen appliances, audiovisual equipment, CDs, DVDs, etc.

Rent Instead of Buying

Renting items is cheaper than buying them, and by reusing an item among several people, it helps to reduce the resources used in its production and packaging, and creates less waste disposal after its use. Why not try the following rental services.

1. Rent home and office furniture:

2. Rent VCDs and DVDs:

3. Rent children toys and baby equipment:

4. Rent designer bags:

5. Rent maternity wear and gowns:

There are also rental services for sports equipment, audiovisual equipment, books, electrical appliances, computers and more. So before you buy something, think about whether you should rent it instead.

Send It for Repair or Fix It Yourself

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:10:26 +0000

Instead of throwing away spoilt items, equipment and electrical appliances immediately, why not try to repair them yourself or send them for repair. Some items just need a bit of fixing or connecting loose wires and parts.

Repair Services in Singapore

You can find the following repair services in the Yellow Pages:

If you’re looking for a licensed water service plumber to do some water repairs, check out the PUB website. If you’re looking for a licensed electrical worker to do some electrical repairs, find one from the EMA website.

Fix It Yourself

If you wish to fix an item yourself, check out the following online resources on repairing and DIY:

Or you can also find out more repair resources from books at the library.

Product Manuals

You might need to read the user manual for the product that you’re fixing. Here’s some online user manuals:

Learn How to Make Paper Models

Eugene Tay — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:00:08 +0000

If you’re wondering about what to do with your used paper and junk mail, why not use them for origami – the traditional Japanese art of paperfolding. A simple piece of paper can be folded into various models - from insects, animals, birds, flowers to useful objects such as envelopes, CD cases, coasters, chopstick cases and photo frames.

Learn Origami

You can learn origami from the following web resources and turn your paper junk mail into fun and interesting paper models.

For example, learn how to fold a piece of paper into a CD case from this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Local Origami Enthusiasts

You can also see interesting origami models and learn from local origami enthusiasts:

Paper Craft Models

Besides origami, you can also learn how to make realistic paper craft models of animals, insects and motorcycles. Check out this Yamaha Motor website with more than 50 paper models. Just download the model on used paper, fold and paste the paper parts together and you’ve got a paper model that looks just like the real thing. Enjoy!