Looking back, I can’t really remember using the term recycled for much of anything before everyone wanted to go green.
Most of what we talk about recycling is what we once called garbage, trash, refuse and junk – old newspapers, building construction scraps, tin cans, glass bottles and even diapers are now commonly being recycled. The recycled materials are typically crushed, shredded, melted and/or chemically treated to be used to create something sanitized and new. Through the process we somehow see past the garbage aspect and see the new recycled item as clean and perhaps even better than the original. I still don’t see how taking a used diaper and recycling it into stuffing used for stuffed animals could ever be anything other than yucky but the end result was a pristine-looking stuffing used by toy manufacturers around the world, including one I used to work for.
While children’s crafts have long centered around the fairly clean and odor-free cardboard tubes from used toilet paper and paper towels, today’s crafters are finding many more recycled items from which to make their pieces. In the long run, it’s all good – less trash in the landfills and useful, creative items are being produced.
The problem, as I see it, is that crafters and artists focusing on green or recycled crafting must be careful on how they market themselves and might need to spend more time and effort explaining their craft and focus a little less on their green-ness.
Many of us spend a great deal of time seeking ways to advertise our websites and businesses to stand out from the crowd.
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