Everything has a life, but here at the canteen, I see things living past their standard one-time use that we have been conditioned to think is the norm. The canteen inspires me every day in so many ways, but especially in how I up-cycle—from my dried paint palette chips, added into necklaces and candles, to my plastic to-go containers from restaurants, turned into planters for my plants.

People buy weekly planners every year with the intention of getting organized and keeping track of things, sure—but what about at the end of the book? It’s just thrown away, maybe some people recycle it, (if it can be) but it’s still wasted!

When I was cleaning up and organizing my home,  and I noticed this yearly calendar sitting on my shelf. It was an up-cycled gift that my wonderful brother, Dal, who thought I would like because it has information on herbs and was barely used. I hadn’t touched it since, I don’t use paper calendars and already have plenty of books on herbs. So when the canteen expressed a need for a yearly calendar, but not wanting to buy one, I thought—what better use for it? I simply painted over the numbers and writing that was in there and used sharpie… Any one could do this no art skills needed! Now it has charter and a second life!

I hope the canteen continues to inspire people as it inspires me and reminds us to stop and ask, “Can I give this another life?”!

-Arianna Ruiz