Re-defining Rubbish

At DIY Homefit we do like the slogan on The Co-operative Food range of reusable shopping bags – “Carrier bags are rubbish”. The bags are available in a number of sizes and designs but all in a striking turquoise colour and bearing the slogan. Since the introduction of the compulsory charge for plastic carrier bags in October, all large stores are now offering customers a range of alternative longer-lasting bags to purchase.

As this is a relatively new development many shoppers are still forgetting to bring their bags shopping with them, but soon it will become an ingrained habit – just part of the way things are done. The time will come when we barely remember the previous piles of free plastic carrier bags at the checkout. Bringing your own bags makes much better sense for a variety of different reasons, not least reducing our carbon footprint.  

At DIY Homefit this is one of our passions too!  We ran a blog in June entitled 101 Uses for Old Kitchen Cupboards which outlined some ideas for creative ways of reusing your old kitchen furniture. This concept of “upcycling” may seem a little niche or avant-garde, but just like bringing your own shopping bags, ultimately makes sense. Here are five good reasons to start taking upcycling seriously:

1. An estimated 10 million household items are sent to landfill sites every year. These include not only at least 3 million intact items that could be used by others, but millions more items that could be wholly or at least partially upcycled. It does not make sense to simply destroy these items rather than reuse them. Landfill sites occupy space and resources, both of which are finite and need to be conserved wherever possible.

2. By upcycling existing goods we conserve resources in another way by avoiding taking further resources to meet our needs. We do not need to replace what we are getting rid of, we reuse what is already there.

3. Continuing on the above theme, the more that people upcycle, the fewer new products will need to be made, which has a positive impact on the environment and reduces waste.

4. The old saying “necessity is the mother of invention” still holds true. Who knows what you may be able to create during the upcycling process! Our previous blog included examples of container gardening, shabby chic shelving, pet bedding, under bed storage, and musical instruments – and there are many many more examples out there. Perhaps you will come up with the next winning invention on Dragons Den!

5. Implicit in all of the above examples is the key factor that upcycling saves you money! As well as helping the environment in a wide range of ways, you will also have more spare cash in your pocket if you use what you have rather than purchasing new goods.

However, in this brave new world of upcycling there will still be times when we need to purchase new goods. For example if we are undertaking a kitchen refurbishment or bedroom makeover we may well be able to upcycle parts of it but still need to source some items from elsewhere.

This is where DIY Homefit can help! Our DIY furniture for kitchens and bedrooms comes in a wide variety of styles, sizes and finishes ready to either complement or contrast with whatever else is in your kitchen or bedroom.  

Why not browse through our website to see what is available? We would love to feature some “combination kitchens” in a future blog so if your home fits the bill then do get in touch and we look forward to seeing the results!