{"id":150731,"date":"2025-05-23T18:24:54","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T18:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/column-the-forgotten-wisdom-of-reuse-in-a-throwaway-world-bradfordtoday-ca\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T18:24:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T18:24:54","slug":"column-the-forgotten-wisdom-of-reuse-in-a-throwaway-world-bradfordtoday-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/column-the-forgotten-wisdom-of-reuse-in-a-throwaway-world-bradfordtoday-ca\/","title":{"rendered":"COLUMN: The forgotten wisdom of reuse in a throwaway world – BradfordToday.ca"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A washline hung with multi-coloured grocery bags certainly catches the eye. Surprisingly, seeing It made me think that most of the people who experienced the Great Depression will already have died. The Great Depression was the worst economic crisis in modern history, lasting from 1929 until the beginning of the Second World War in 1939. 
The depression left an indelible mark on the people who lived through it. The depression taught them that saving for tomorrow, in case of another depression, was an imperative. "A penny saved is a penny earned" defined that generation.
As a result of that philosophy, there was and still is a massive transfer of wealth as that generation's savings are being passed on. 
The generation that inherited this wealth has, to some extent, also inherited, by their parents' example and teaching, a conservative view of wealth, how to grow and maintain it. 
That generation, even today, will stoop to pick up a dime instead of carelessly throwing small change away as I have seen people do at stores. And yes, I'm one of this generation who, according to younger generations, "suffers" from "Depression-era values." Maybe perversely, I take pride in that value accusation. "Waste not, want not," remains a guiding principle. 
It pains me to see what people throw out. We are living in a world that is running out of easily and cheaply obtained materials. We have started to harvest the ocean floor for manganese nodules to great detriment of bathypelagic life. Mines are becoming miles deep. The Mponeng mine in South Africa is 13,123 feet! 
As the population continues to grow more resources will be needed, all somehow to be resourced from this finite planet.
We really have to relearn the wisdom my parents acquired through life's hard lessons — to better conserve all materials.
So when I walk the roads picking garbage, beer cans, etc., I look for what can be reused and recycled. Tools found will be donated to my family or friends who farm. Found, usable clothes are washed and recycled to the thrift stores. 
The latest 'craze' I see is people throwing out reusable bags, typically bought for 25 cents to $3, which contain either some empty beer cans or other used recyclable containers. The better way would be putting a collection of them in the washing machine to get clean bags that can be used time and time again. And they look pretty on the line.
Not long ago, society switched from plastic bags to reusable bags. Plastic bags were harmful to the environment, both short and long term, and made for unsightly garbage by the roads and in bodies of water. 
A small proportion of our society appears not to have grasped what that word "reusable" actually means.
Here's to greener and better days practising the three Rs.<\/font><\/font><\/font>
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