It's only single use if you use it once

Single use products are typically not very wise to use because you're paying for something you're essentially throwing away within seconds. You're tossing money directly into the trash, not to mention it takes a couple of hundred years (!) for that plastic to break down. And even if the products aren't made of plastic, but aluminium or cardboard instead, the environmental impact still can't be neglected. Of course, sometimes single use products are beneficial. Think medical single use products, period products (especially for women who don't always have access to water), and it can extend the shelf life of foods, etc. This is why I'm not radically against single use products, as it sometimes just makes sense. 

However, here's the thing: I've found that not all single use products are truly single use. In fact, there's a LOT of things around our home that are officially single use products, yet are being used over and over. That doesn't mean they last forever, but using them just once because marketers tell you to do so is just silly, in my humble opinion. Of course, I'm not talking about the obvious single use products that involve personal hygiene -other than tooth brushes- (although I have seen people reusing diapers here, which really is out of dire poverty). 

Of course, marketers, driven by their capitalist world view, want us to believe all their products are single use, and bad things will happen if you dare to use them more often. How else will they profit from the working class and destroy the environment? I'm very grateful that my parents taught me to think outside the box. It really is a necessary life skill to ask questions and come up with creative solutions for things "that are just the way they are". As a young girl, I remember that one of the presents I have the most vivid memories of was some sort of appliance that could cut styrofoam with heat. Those appliances were a rage in the 1990s, with toy shops selling them quite expensively. The one I got, however, was hand made by my father. My father was very handy- he once made one perfectly functioning car out of two older cars, need I say more? It didn't matter to me that it was handmade and had a bit of a "homemade look", I just remember the excitement of getting such a present. At that time a lot of foods were packed with styrofoam so I did a lot of crafting with that. Unfortunately I can't remember what actually happened to the styrofoam cutter, but I hope it was either disassembled (which is most likely, knowing my dad), or given away to someone else. Either way, looking back I think that even though I haven't been always as waste conscious as I'm now, my parents defenitely instilled this mentality from early on. 

Back to the "single" use products. As mentioned, there's obviously things that cannot be reused. But then there are so many products that *can* be reused! 

Bags: I try to always have a tote bag with me but plastic bags coming in the house still happens. I generally use them to freeze meat. You really don't want to re-use bags in which meat or fish has been. When I do use store bought sandwich baggies, I sometimes reuse them. Especially when they were used for freezing produce, if the produce comes out dry/clean (such as broad beans), I just hang them to dry and put them in a drawer in which I store my pre-used baggies, which works so well. Oh, and hoe could I (almost) doet er bread bags? They seem to last ages and are very suitable for freezing.

If that's not possible, I tend to divide the baggies in two, especially if I'm freezing smaller amounts. Other bags I use for the garbage bin. Sometimes, there are holes in the bags so they aren't really suitable for the garbage, but I use them instead of plastic wrap. 

Egg boxes: when my children were smaller, they did a lot of crafting with egg boxes. If you don't have small children you can also donate your egg boxes to local schools, or so I've heard. I'm yet to decide whether the crocodile or the train was their favourite egg box crafting project. You can also use them in your kitchen drawer to store small things that would otherwise clutter up the kitchen: thumbacks, rubber bands, etc. They're also very suitable for gardening, as you can grow seedlings in the holes. I have also used the boxes to sprout cress seeds. There's certain games you can play with your toddler using egg boxes, such as matching game. 

And lastly: I usually put some of the egg boxes in our trashcan- under the bag. That way, if something spills or leaches, you don't have to clean up the trash can immediately. 

Toothbrushes: my father had a huge collection of old toothbrushes, which he used for his car and many other things. Now I won't keep hundreds of them like he did, but I do have some old toothbrushes that I use for certain cleaning chores. Speaking of toothbrushes, it's a myth that you have to replace your toothbrush every few weeks. This is again a marketer's trick. Some people think it has to do with hygiene, but that's not the actual reason why this is adviced. It has to do with the brushes being "worn out", and because of that, don't function as they should. If you're not an angry brusher, you really don't need to replace it that often. And if your concern is hygiene you simply disinfect your brush with boiling hot water. 

Balloons: Now I think this is somewhat of a slippery slope. How on earth can someone be environmentally conscious AND even think of balloons? Don't worry, we generally don't buy balloons. Actually, I've always found them scary so it's rather a good thing they're considered bad for the environment. That way, at least I have a valid excuse to avoid them altogether! But, sometimes my in laws give a balloon to the children during our eid holidays, and I don't want to judge them for that. I think one balloon a year is quite good, though. Anyway, I've found that balloons can sometimes be blown up again when it's beginning to shrink. This way, my youngest daughter once had a balloon for months- instead of a few days. 

Disposable containers: I think most people will consider plastic food containers reusable, especially when they have a lid. But I'm talking about the plastic/aluminium boxes similar to disposable plates etc. We sometimes order cookies and they come in such boxes. They are very reusable. I like to use them for when I myself send food over to others, because if you give a plate they feel obliged to give something in return. (Which is OK, but especially when someone is ill or has just given birth or something, cooking food for someone else isn't the first thing that is on their priority list.) 

Food packaging: back in the Netherlands, we used to buy 5 KG rice sacks that were made from very firm plastic. I reused them over and over, especially when baking bread or other foods that needed plastic wrap. I now have some plastic from a bulk bag of sugar which is made from the very same material. As I mentioned earlier, milk cartons are very reusable too. I use them a lot in the freezer, as well as plastic bottles. 

Tins: we go through a lot of tomato paste, which comes in 800 grams tins. While I don't always reuse them, my husband has quite a few of those tins in the garage, as they're very handy to store tools in. I also use some in the kitchen: one for the breadcrumbs that are left after cutting bread, one for my small spoons, etc. If they're not reused, I use them as garbage tins. I've noticed that a lot of vendors at the local market use clean emptied tins as a "measuring cup", to scoop out their dry goods, and I found that genius! People in Tunisia are truly very resourceful.

Razors:  if disposable razors are your shaving method of choice, costs can add up when using them according to the "official" instructions. Still, there are ways to extend the use, which is by sharpening the knifes. A disposable razor can easily be sharpened using a small piece of denim fabric. I use a small old pair of jeans of one of the children. Some people also use a box of matches for this purpose, but I haven't tried it myself so I can't tell whether it works as good as denim fabric. 

Bottles: Throughout the years, I've seen so many ideas using bottles- from decorations (such as curtains), to planters, to homemade toys. We sometimes do an old fashioned game of bowling with empty bottles and the children have a blast! Not only water bottles can be upcycled. I have detergent jugs that I use for storing bulk bought or homemade detergent, and made some into baskets in which I store my unpaper towels. I also have planters made out of old detergent jugs. 

Aluminium foil: I try not to use aluminium foil a lot, but there's still some things it's used for at our house. For example, when I bake chicken in the oven, I always cover it with aluminium foil. That piece of foil is perfectly fine to use another time. Since we don't eat oven baked chicken often enough to leave that piece of foil in the fridge, I keep it in the freezer until the next use. 

Coffee filters: let me preface that I'm not a coffee drinker, so I can't make claims about the taste of the outcome of certain methods. However, my husband does drink coffee. When he uses a disposable filter, he uses the filter multiple times (it's important to let the filter air dry in between uses). He tried a reusable filter but unfortunately it didn't work as good, and the coffee he mostly drinks is made with a percolator. So this reusing filters thing is something done every so often if he feels like trying out something else. 

Kitchen paper/kitchen towel: I try not to use it often (I have a box of unpaper towels in the kitchen), but when I do and it's not too dirty I reuse it after having air dried. That second use is usually for more "dirty" stuff. Wiping spilled foods on floors (oh, and something that has to do with summer... and starts with a c and ends with ockroaches 🤫)  

I really could go on, but I think it's elaborated enough now. The point is that you really don't have to be afraid to (re)use your "disposable" items.