In some point in our lives we have heard of the phrase “reduce, reuse and recycle”. What is it about, how do we incorporate it in our lives and most importantly what are the benefits. The 3 R’s have a significant relationship and together create a system that can shrink your household’s carbon footprint Ad. Here is the breakdown of the 3 R’s.
Reduce
This is the reduction of the waste, the most efficient way is to avoiding creating waste at the first place. In 1960 according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, each person created 2,7 pounds of waste each day, today the numbers have increased to 4,3 pounds. Over the years companies have been focusing on the reduction of the amount of waste by getting more efficient with their product packaging to save resources. Manufactures have reduced the weight of plastic used in the bottles by 0,6 ounces. While this may seem insignificant, it keeps 200 million pounds of plastic from becoming waste. Consumers may also work an important role in waste reduction: cutting back from water and electrical use is a good start. When making a purchase look for durable products that will last for long.
Re-use
Re-use encompasses a number of ways and factors and ways. It means observing and scrutinizing items that can be reused for example using clothe tote bags when you shop instead of asking for plastic bags, or buying reusable water bottles. It also implies looking for ways to repurpose discarded items especially those that cannot be recycled. Consider donating an applicant or gadget if you’re upgrading, also consider repairing rather than discarding items. If a product has served its purpose look for alternative uses.
Recycle
Recycling plays an important role in keeping usable materials out of the landfill. It is a simple concept where objects that might be considered as waste are turned back into raw materials that can be used in the manufacture of other items. Recycling consists of three steps: Step 1, is the collection and processing. Communities handle this in different ways, some may offer curbside recycling while others may have central drop off facilities. The recycled materials are then sorted cleaned and turned into marketable raw materials. Step 2 consists of manufacturing the recycled material into a new product the step 3, is when consumers purchase the recycled product. As a consumer you can participate in recycling by recycling as much as possible.
Benefits
There is a number of advantages which come as a result of reducing, reusing and recycling for instance cutting greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy and resources and reducing the need of landfills and incineration.