Most people these days are good at the third "R," recycling. Well at least most people think about that as an option. It can still be confusing what can be recycled where, since all communities have slightly different rules. In the end it comes down to what there is a market for. Only materials that can be made into something else are going to be of value.
Some people are good at the second "R," reusing. I often find items in the recycling that could be reused a few times before being recycled. Some surprising examples are sheets of paper that have one line printed on them and the entire rest of the sheet is blank, not to mention the other side of the sheet. Reuse before Recycling!
The first "R" however, needs a lot more attention. Reducing our waste is the most important thing we can do. Recycling requires a lot of energy and transportation. The first step is to avoid using disposable products - bring your own mug when you get coffee, bring your own bags to the grocery store, bring your own tupperware to restaurants for leftovers. Once you've mastered those, I challenge you to look through your trash can and recycling and think about every item in there. What could you not use in the first place? How can you reduce the amount of stuff that is going in there each week? Feel free to share your advice or struggles in the comment section.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I've gotten very used to thinking about the "3 R's" as reduce, reuse, and recycle are often referred to. Then I was introduced to the 4th R that can really fit anywhere in the list: RETHINK! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rethink. This post challenges us all to add that 4th R to our lists and really think about what we are putting into the landfill, what we can keep out, and what we may not need in the first place.
Post a Comment