Don't forget: Starting Aug. 15, The I.D.E.A. Store will be open an additional two hours each weekday! New store hours are Tuesday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday hours will remain the same (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). As before, the store will be closed Sunday and Monday.

Thanks to an effort initiated by Leslie Knicle, math coordinator for Champaign's Unit 4 Schools, The I.D.E.A. Store has saved the school district $300 by donating a wide range of materials and supplies that will be used this year in grade 6-10 math classrooms.

Creating can be fulfilling and eco-conscious at the same time. Reuse artists and crafters recognize the potential in found materials, giving them more value by choosing to feature them. Items in The I.D.E.A. Store's inventory have probably served one purpose already, and await your imagination to give them yet another. If you are thoughtful in doing your next project, the materials you incorporate could have even more lives through further reuse or recycling. Remember that "reusing" involves cleaning or repairing something so it can be used again for the same or a different purpose. "Recycling" involves cleaning an item for acceptance at the curb or in a recycling bin from which it is transported to be processed and manufactured into a new item. Here are some tips to keep good resources out of the

This totemic sculpture by local artist Melissa Mitchell uses natural connections (no adhesives!) and is assembled entirely from reusable materials: lamp and plumbing parts, vintage children's blocks, beads and spools (purchased at The I.D.E.A. Store). The reuse continued, as spools were dipped in Urbana batik artist Jill Miller's used dye baths.

 waste stream.

Create with one type of recyclable material. For example, 

as The I.D.E.A. Store was opening in 2010, a new supporter donated a Girl Scout "sit-upon" constructed of Sunday comics, which are printed on recyclable paper. No glue or tape holds it together, and the light colors of the comics are visually appealing. It's simply folded and woven, free of contaminants which would remove the paper from the recycling stream. These comics had the potential for creative reuse as the sit-upon and can ultimately be recycled because they haven't been contaminated with other materials.

Learn about contaminants for different materials. In the last newsletter, sources of paper recycling contamination were listed for your reference. In the next installment, you can learn about ways to keep those ubiquitous plastics out of the waste stream and primed for creative reuse and recycling by avoiding or removing things that can contaminate them.    

Make it easy to disassemble your creations. In my experience as a reuser and recycler, I've been stymied by the fact that product manufacturers often join materials together in such a way that they can't be separated from each other. It is also frustrating not being able to reuse something because glue or tape (or both) made it impossible to salvage. If you want to be able to reuse or recycle pieces of art and craft projects when you're are ready to part with them, try using alternative removable connectors such as paper clips, brads, screws, pipe cleaners, rubber bands and staples instead. Overuse of adhesives and tape can contaminate materials, making them undesirable in the recycling stream. Small quantities are generally not a problem.  

Make it entirely disposable with non-recyclables. One of the best things about The I.D.E.A. Store is that lots of single-use disposables can have another life outside of the area landfill. Drinking straws, gift bows, chopsticks, coffee sleeves, paint chip samples, family photos, dryer sheets and wine corks are just a few examples of such treasures. As much as we strive to be able to reuse EVERYTHING, the reality is that, unfortunately, not every single thing is actually reusable or recyclable. When that's the case, just go ahead and seize the opportunity to cut loose and contaminate stuff to your heart's content! Choose a range of non-recyclables, grab contaminants like paint, glitter and glue and just make something totally cool - and totally toss-able. At least the ingredients got one more use!

Katherine Gorski describes herself as "the opposite of a hoarder." If there's such a thing as an organizer gene, she's got it.

"I like getting things neat and orderly," said Katherine, a retired special education teacher at Urbana's Leal School, who learned on the job that keeping her own classroom well ordered was the only way to fly. To that end, she has carved a niche for herself as the lead organizer of The I.D.E.A. Store's office-supply "warehouse" (actually a corner room in the store's south-side material storage area).

Katherine began volunteering at the store in November 2010 after reading about it in the newspaper. From the get-go, she has enjoyed the flexible nature of volunteering at the store.

"It isn't something I felt like I had to sign my name in blood to do," she said. "I go to Tucson in the winter, so I don't come in for two months, and that's not a problem." Volunteers are asked to contribute as little as two hours a week. "That's doable," she added.

Katherine also appreciates that she has been able to apply her specific skill sets to areas of need within the store.

"I saw that the office supply area was just a mess," she said. "They needed somebody to organize it, so I asked Gail (Rost, the store's general manager), and Gail said, 'Go for it!' "

Recently, Katherine saw the need for another special project. This time, her efforts are aimed at assisting teachers and students. Once again, Gail encouraged her to tackle it.

Because she doesn't think enough teachers shop at The I.D.E.A. Store at the store, Katherine wanted to find a way to encourage them to visit, especially now, on the cusp of a new school year. So, she is bundling together new and reusable pencils, tying them with ribbons, and plans to distribute the calling cards this month to area teachers - along with brochures and an insert she wrote aimed directly at teachers.

"This is one way to advertise The I.D.E.A. Store that would've gotten my attention when I was a teacher," she said.

The Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation saw a need in the community to accomplish several things: 1.  Support the arts and arts education, 2.  Support environmental education in our communities, 3. Impact the environment by reducing the rate of waste disposal, 4. create a place for everyone to have access to quality materials and 5. Support itself in light of the difficult economic times.  So donate your discards and shop re-use.  Its about making a difference!

 www.cuSchoolsFoundation.org