A few months ago, a strap on my favourite pair of sandals gave out, rendering them totally useless. I promptly brought the shoe to Makela’s, and the woman behind the counter seemed confident that it was fixable, so I left the shoe with her, and a few days later she called, and I picked my shoe up, and lo and behold, it was fixed. I have, of course, gone back to wearing my favourite sandals everywhere, and I suspect that another strap may give out soon, but that’s ok, because I’ll just fix that strap..

I like to use things up. And that’s what this week’s “saving the environment with minimal effort” post is all about. Using things up is an important part of being environmentally conscious, because the more usage you get out of things, the less things you need to buy. And, naturally, the more money you save.

Most things which break are fixable, especially if you buy high-quality things in the first place. And often the cost to fix something is fairly low, especially if you are capable of fixing something yourself. You might be surprised by the number of businesses in your area which would be delighted to fix things like shoes, broken lamps, computers, chairs with woeful upholstery, and so forth. Many of those businesses are small, run from the home, and therefore typically low cost.

When I’m thinking about replacing something in my house, I always think about whether or not it really needs to be replaced. First, can it be fixed and used as it was before? If it can’t be fixed, can I repurpose it and use it for something else? When a pair of pajama pants gives up the ghost, I can cut them up into rags for cleaning. When my sheets tear, I can hang onto them and use them as drop cloths later. When a sweater becomes too holey to use, I can felt it and turn it into a cat bed, or use the felt in various craft projects.

When something breaks, think outside the box. And by the same token, don’t replace something that isn’t broken. If you don’t like it, figure out why you don’t like it, and how you can make it likeable again. If you’re bored with your living room, the solution is not to buy a new living room, it’s to rearrange the furniture, change the art, maybe change the covers on your throw pillows. Use your imagination. Use it up and wear it out.