Reuse Month - mywaste My Waste

what is reuse month?

October is Ireland’s National Reuse Month, reuse is about valuing our stuff, by using and reusing it for as long and as often as possible. This avoids the need to extract raw materials, manufacture and distribute new stuff, and avoids waste thereby cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

This might sound like stepping back in time, to when post-war frugality meant that people held on to things for longer, passed on things they no longer needed and recycled everything from curtains to car parts. But this campaign is targeted at a generation that grew up in a consumer culture that didn’t consider where things came from or went to after their use – never mind the environmental consequences of using up primary resources and dumping toxic waste.

Throughout October we invite the public and all organisations to hold and attend community-based workshops in a multitude of areas such as managing food waste and upcycling everything from fashion to furniture. The idea is to bring people beyond the idea of “reduce, reuse and recycle” to a more conscious prevention of waste in the first place.

If you are organising an event we invite you to use the official artwork which you can download here.

how can I get involved?

National Reuse Month’s aim is to inspire you and provide you with the skills and tools to reuse more at home, at work and at play. For example, you may have already reused by getting shoes resoled rather than replacing them, or borrowing books from the library. To cut down on waste and greenhouse gas emissions, we asked everyone to go further in October and beyond by prioritising repair, buying second hand and upcycled, borrowing, swapping and refilling.

If you are organising an event we invite you to use the official artwork which you can download here.

Download these documents for some inspiration:

at home at work at play

I'm A Reuser

Reuse Month Videos

How to make sure your bike is roadworthy with Cycle Sense

How to extend the life of your clothes with DuMore Embroidery

Create a gloss finish with leftover matt paint with NCE

Transform an old picture frame into a breakfast table with Michelle Made This

Second Hand Shopping Spree with The Useless Project

Creepy Reuse Creations with Recreate

How To Paint Fabric with Marianne Heaphy

DIY Kitchen Roll Holder with Michelle Made This

Zero Food Waste Tips with Erica Drum

Hooded Jumper/Scarf with Arran Murphy

Simple Upholstery with Dave Kavanagh

DIY Wedding Décor with Michelle Made This

Upcycled Lamp Masterclass with Emmet Bosonnet

Textile Jewellery Upcycling with Audrey Rutherford

Simple Decoupage with Marianne Heaphy

Stop Food Waste Banana Pancakes with Tony Keogh

Reuse Fashion Masterclass with Arran Murphy

Hanging Basket Chandelier with Michelle Made This

Garden Furniture Refurbishment with Dave Kavanagh

Steps- by-Steps Tutorials

Click here for a step-by-step photo guide on How To Take Up A Hem.

Click here for a step-by-step photo guide on How To Transform a Chair into a Shelf.

Click here for a step-by-step photo guide on How To Create Your Own Paper Wreath from Book Pages.

here

Click here for a step-by-step photo guide on How To Create Your Own Coffee Table from an Old Lampshade.

Calendar of Events

Check out the calendar of events which are taking place all over the country.
Limerick

Limerick City and County Council Staff Reuse Challenge

Monday, October All 2022
- @ Limerick based more information
Cork

Zero Waste festival in Youghal

Saturday, October 2022
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm @ Youghal GAA more information
Dublin

Relove Fashion Competition

Monday, October 01 2022
- @ Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow more information

#upcycle challenge 22

Closing date: 27th of October

The Upcycle Challenege is back for 2022.

Why not check out the 2021 winners here for some inspiration.

learn more

why is reuse important?

For the past 250 years, economies in the developed world have been based on a linear model of continuous growth, drawing on the world’s natural resources to make our lives healthier, wealthier and more comfortable.

learn more