Green Living Column Dec 2014: Making Possessions Last Longer (Part 1)
PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2014 GREEN LIVING COLUMN Making Possessions Last Longer (Part 1) (By Wong Ee Lynn, wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com ) Volunteers and staff who work for organisations that collect reusable items for charity often complain that people tend to donate old, stained and ruined items in very poor condition. Not only is this habit rude, inconsiderate and insensitive, it is also wasteful. Many people mistakenly believe that they are 'doing a good deed' by 'donating' unwanted items to 'charity'. In reality, however, volunteers and staff waste many hours sifting through items that will most likely end up in landfills. Most of the time, only 5 - 10% of items are fit to be redirected to beneficiaries such as welfare homes and homeless individuals. Another 10 - 20% could be recovered for recycling. The rest of the 'donations' end up being thrown out as rubbish. What then, most people ask, can they do with 'al...