Call Me a Dreamer

It's interesting to me that many of the the things my mother used to do as a matter of course (to save money and possibly because she had gotten in the habit of saving during WWII rationing) are the very things we are now being urged to do to save the environment. She used to save aluminum foil and even plastic wrap--drying these in the dish rack next to the sink, glass jars, paper bags, boxes, and newspapers. All of these things were reused whenever possible. We had cleaning rags made from scraps of worn out clothing. These are just the things I'm remembering off the top of my head.

But, what almost seems the strangest to me now, are the purchased items she had that helped her to save money. One of these was a quart-sized aluminum can with a filter and a lid. Whenever she had leftover grease from frying, she'd pour the grease through the filter, wipe off the filter, and fasten the lid on. Then, the next time she went to fry something, she could use some of the strained grease, instead of new. Today, I read articles about not throwing that old grease down the drain, because it damages the environment, but I don't see those cans around any more. We may deep-fry far less than people used to, but I still see deep-fryers for sale in the appliance aisles in Target and Wal-Mart, so it hasn't completely disappeared and the idea of reusing cooking oil just doesn't seem to be part of the picture anymore.

I miss the little plastic bottle she used to dampen clothes before she ironed them, which reduced the amount of starch needed when ironing. (At least, I miss it when I simply, absolutely can't avoid having to iron.) This bottle was about six inches tall and an inch and a half in diameter, and the screw-on lid had a number of holes in it, so you could sprinkle the water out. I use a spray bottle these days, but there are times I'd prefer the other.

So, is there anything like these items I've mentioned that you can remember you or your parents or grandparents using, that you just don't see around anymore? If there is, do you think it's obsolete, or are we due for a resurgence?

Also, what are the factors you believe have contributed to the changes in reuse? Is it just that they're not needed anymore? Are there market forces at work? (i.e., Have they been replaced by something else, possibly something disposable?) Are we just too busy to take the time to reuse?