Before it gets too cold..

You should check out the natural gas furnace that we have for sale at our Albany site. Max Felsher, one of our AmeriCorps*VISTAs, posted an ad on Craigslist.com for it, which you can find by clicking here.

Even if you're not in the market for a furnace, ReUse has tons of cold weather clothing at our thrift stores in Athens and Wellston, so stop by before the winter weather arrives!

ReUse Holiday Guide: Part Two

• Reuse Christmas wrapping. Use old maps or pages from newspaper comics, stock reports, want ads, etc. for wrapping gifts. Put gifts in decorative tins or boxes instead of throwaway wrapping materials.
• Reuse good quality, nearly new items as gifts or donations to less fortunate individuals and families.
  
• Reuse your imagination in trimming the tree or yard for the holidays. Take time to recondition strings of lights that may only need a few bulbs. Create ornaments out of items that can be painted or decorated for a new look. Recycle old materials into new decorations.
• Reuse the Christmas tree. Temporarily it can be set outside as a shelter and feeding site for birds. Some communities offer pickup services so that the tree can become landscape mulch, brush piles, or wildlife shelter, or when properly submerged, a former Christmas tree can become a hiding place and food site for fish. Remember to remove trimming and avoid improper disposal of flocked trees.

(Source: Missouri Department of Natural Resources)

Just in case you're itching for more information, here are some more links to help you and your family have a green holiday season!

Gifts that give back - Yahoo!
'Reduce, reuse and recycle' should be your motto - The Herald
10 Ways to Reuse Christmas Wrapping Paper - Budget Christmas
Dreaming of a green Christmas? - Friends of the Earth
Green Christmas: Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday - National Geographic
Environmental Defense Dreams of a Green Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa - Environmental Defense
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost, and Buy Recycled This Holiday Season - New York DEC

And here are some other blogs that are concerned with making the holidays a little greener.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas from Garden Rant
A Green Christmas from Fearless Voices
20 Green Christmas Ideas from Buy Organic

New ReUse Team Members!

ReUse would like to welcome Duane Bogart and Jimmy Kuhn to our team. Having lived in Athens for the past 25 years, Duane formerly worked at ACEnet. He is active in cooperative activities, especially with food co-ops. Jimmy has come in as our new driver, and is from McArthur. We're excited to welcome them to the ReUse family!

ReUse Holiday Guide: Part One

• Rather than piling up "stuff" under the tree, think about what friends and family really want or need. Try giving gift certificates if you don't know what someone wants, or simply make a donation in his or her name to a favorite charity.
• Give gifts that encourage others to use less stuff, like a book about making crafts from reusable items, cookbooks for leftovers, or reusable tote bags.
• Or simply set a good example by giving homeade food or something you've made yourself from reused items.
• Shop for gifts at antique stores, estate sales, or flea markets, since one person's trash is another's treasure.
• Donate unwanted gifts, along with last year's gifts that the kids have outgrown, to charity.

(from Use Less Stuff)

ReUse Industries is a great place to find gifts and decorations for the holiday season! Our thrift store in Athens is open Monday through Friday, from 9 am - 5 pm. Our Wellston location is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 am - 5 pm. Our Albany location is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 am - 6 pm. We'll see you soon!

Exciting news!

ReUse Industries was featured in Ohio Magazine’s December 2006 issue. You can check us out in an article entitled “Ohio Heroes” which highlights ordinary Ohioans who are trying to make a difference in their communities. The article can be accessed online at the Ohio Magazine website or the magazine can be purchased locally at Little Professor Books at 65 South Court Street in Athens as well as CVS locations in the surrounding areas.