Repurpose/Recycle

   Repurpose! Recycle!  The new buzz words. Our great grandparents did it out of necessity, even our grandparents to a certain extent.  However... our parents?  They actually brought in the age of disposables, and "buy new when get tired of it" mentality. We, my generation, perpetuated it. It's how we were brought up.
  I have made it my personal goal to repurpose what I have already. For example, I have never bought a complete bedroom set.  My dresser came from my husband's childhood set. My bed was bought second hand for $50. My beautiful matching nightstands were found on Craigslist for $15-for both! The chair that sits in my room is a $30 Craigslist find. It is well made, solid and very comfortable. Next to it is a $3 occasional table I found at a garage sell. The TV armoire was bought new 19 years ago for my living room. Somehow it all came together and looks just fine.  My son's room: Dad's childhood bed, the  nightstand is a chest with 2 drawers that I refinished that came from his grandparents home. A desk I bought off Craiglist for all of $10 holds his computer with room to work, a pull out sofa that I bought used (that is in mint condition) serves as seating and room for company when needed.  The chest of drawers belonged to his grandmother, and has been refinished by his mom (me).  My daughter's rooms are the same. Repurposed furnishings that have been passed down, that I refinished myself,  mixed with Craigslist and garage sale finds. It looks put together and just fine. Not hodgy podgy... not sure if those are real words, but I do know you know exactly what I mean!
   The real story here though is this - when I look at decorating magazines or visit shops, the words Repurposed and Recycled make the product cost MORE!  I would think that it should cost less. Am I missing something? The purpose in my mind is to be economically wise as well as ecologically wise.  If the production and cost of recycling and repurposing is really that much more, is it worth it? 
   We should individually repurpose and recycle what we already have, or find,  in an economical sense. When a business starts mass "repurposing" and "recycling", are they not expending just as much energy and waste the same as a company producing all new items? Just something to think about.  Though it's all fun and quirky to see what is done with different items, I am having a hard time comprehending how the pricing seems so disproportionate to the product. Please feel free to enlighten me.
   In the meantime, I am planning my next repurposing... I am taking a telephone table I bought for $30 and turning it into a nightstand for my middle child. How?  By putting it next to the bed, and placing a lamp on top of it!