In Another Life...Repurposing at Its Best

Repurpose…that’s a word you've probably heard being used a lot over the last few years. So, what exactly does it mean to repurpose something? Webster defines it simply, “to give a new purpose or use.” Even though the word “repurpose” was only added to Webster in 1984, people have been finding new uses for the “things” in their lives for pretty much as long as people and things have existed.

My father-in-law, an intelligent and amazingly resourceful man, turned an ordinary tin can into a grater during the era of World War II when metal was in short supply and a grater made from anything other than plastic, was absolutely nowhere to be found. The war had taken a toll on this country, but he wasn’t going to disappoint his family by letting it rob them of the long held family tradition of feasting on coconut cake and ambrosia after Christmas dinner. That little tin can grater created the finest, feathery light coconut you’ve ever tasted. In fact, it became THE grater to use every Christmas for the next 50+ years, long after the invention of food processors or microplane graters.

We all know that repurposing has its good points. There’s the obvious benefit of reducing what ultimately would end up in the landfills, and there’s usually a savings or cost advantage to be had. But are those the real reasons we love finding new uses for the objects that surround us? Maybe we can find the answer to that question by taking a look at some fine examples of repurposing at its best…