I have a deep appreciation for craftspeople who make everyday things of necessity and some of art.
Hand-crafted items tend to endure the test of time, by intention of design, or accidentally. The Gulf Coast shares the tradition of self reliance described in a phrase I often heard when I was younger:
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Recycling was not a term we used, but it was an everyday practice to not throw away things which could possibly be repaired, nor things which could be used for another purpose.