I wish I could remember the name of the old nun who taught Art and Mechanical Drawing at my little parish high school. 

Now, Sisters are usually pretty frugal, but this one went above and beyond the call of duty in recycling things.  She taught the students how to make their own envelopes, and always used both sides of any paper.  If she spotted anything vaguely useful in the trrash, a few senior boys would soon be hauling it up to the third floor.  (Old mattress = source of papier mache, that kind of thing.)  She had us split wooden pencil stubs to recover the "lead" (graphite) for use in mechanical pencils, and she'd squeeze the remaining rubber out of the eraser end with pliers for independent use on art boards. 

She wasn't Native American, but Lord help any buffalo if one ever wandered by her studio/classroom.: rest assured she'd have found a use for every part of it.  If they'd put her in charge of the U.S. Budget in 1969, we'd be in great shape today.