The Recycling Cycle SL

Stonehaven’s Greenhouse – our most unusual and useful landmark – is gone. R.I.P.

Even though it outlived its life expectancy by nearly a decade, we knew it was becoming more vulnerable with each passing year. The winter winds of 2012-2013 struck the fatal blow to our beloved greenhouse – built from mostly recycled and repurposed materials.

But some of its remains will soon breathe life into structures with useful new purposes around our yard.

R.I.P. can also mean “Recycling Inspires Projects”

While waiting for the warmer spring weather to dismantle the structure, I gave a lot of thought to what I could make from the salvageable wood and hardware, as well as leftover building materials that were stored in it. I have at least three projects in mind – continuing the recycling cycle.

Recycling is our responsibility

While my partner and I aren’t extreme environmentalists by any measure, we’re living within our means and cognizant of the fact that we have a responsibility to preserve natural resources for future generations. Although we don’t have children of our own, we have nieces and nephews now raising young families that we hope will continue to enjoy life at Stonehaven long after we’re gone.

So taking simple, logical and practical actions like recycling, repurposing and reducing consumption of resources that will likely become scarce in their lifetimes is a no-brainer for us.

Food for thought

Take three minutes to watch this video as David Suzuki explains just how fast we’re depleting our finite resources and how pursuing “growth” is ultimately suicidal.

Watch the Video.

No time to waste

I’ve always been a bit of a “pack rat”, saving all kinds of things I think might come in handy somehow, sometime in the future. Not only can this save you money and reduce your consumption, you can exercise your creative skills by making something unique that you need – based on what you have at hand – just like your grandparents did. It’s rewarding, practical, and sustainable.

As we roll into 2014 I’m going to focus primarily on projects and posts that show how we can create new things from repurposed, recycled or leftover materials collecting around the house or purchased though a recycling depot like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore network.

Our old greenhouse was a recycling inspiration and part of the Stonehaven landscape for almost 18 years – but I’ll save the full story for next time.