Reduce Reuse Recycle
About Reducing, Reusing & Recycling
Living produces waste, and that waste has become an increasingly important environmental and aesthetic issue for households, corporations, municipalities and nations. The phrase "reduce, reuse and recycle" presents a hierarchy representing different desirable outcomes for waste. These terms offer reminders to reduce the amount of waste produced, to reuse materials when possible and to recycle materials ...
Ways to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Televisions
Getting a new television can be exciting, but do you really need one? That question is the first step in eco-conscious living and an honest answer can help reduce your contribution to the growing electronics waste stream. Even if the answer is yes, you can still do the right thing for the environment by disposing of your old TV in an appropriate way. If you don't need your old TV anymore, chances are that someone ...
What Is Reduce, Reuse & Recycle?
We've all heard the mantra, "Reduce, reuse and recycle." You may wonder what it means or how to incorporate these principles into your daily life. It's not as complicated as you may think --- the "three Rs" all complement each other and together create a system that can shrink your household's carbon footprint.
How to Reuse Recyclables
Although preferable to sending trash to the landfill or incinerator, recycling still requires energy and produces waste by-products (see References 3, p. 16). Because of these effects, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers waste prevention --- activities that reduce the disposal and recycling of waste materials --- the best way to reduce waste (see References 1, pp. 3, 5). Reusing paper, jars and ...
More Articles on Reduce Reuse Recycle
The Meaning of the Three R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Copious amounts of garbage resulting from a consumption-driven and densely populated society have led waste managers to adopt and promote an approach to the waste problem summarized by the phrase "reduce, reuse and recycle" -- the waste hierarchy. This slogan reminds consumers of the actions they can take to minimize the burdens that their waste creates: reducing waste, reusing waste when possible and recycling waste into goods for tomorrow.
How to Reuse or Recycle Apparel and Textiles
Fashion changes from season to season, but even non-fashionistas regularly dispose of textiles. Clothing, drapery, sheets and upholstery all make it into the waste stream, to the tune of 12.7 million tons in 2009, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see References 1). As a recyclable material, textiles shouldn't be tossed in the trash, but even recycling uses energy. Your first option should be reuse. A 2010 study from the Sloan School of Management showed that continuing to reuse a blouse saves 68 percent of the energy of manufacturing a new one, even when considering the energy used in washing and drying the old blouse 75 times (see Reference 2, page 7).
Ways to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
In 2009, the average U.S. citizen generated 4.34 pounds of garbage every day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see References 1). As trash piles up in landfills and litters roadsides and natural spaces, many people feel compelled to take steps to reduce the waste they leave curbside for weekly trash pickup. The three R's --- reduce, reuse and recycle --- act as a starting point for lessening your household's waste generation.
Tips for How to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
The amount of waste generated in the United States had been steadily increasing. By 2000, the average waste created by every American increased to 4.7 lbs. every day. By 2009, however, this figure had dropped to 4.3 lbs. per day. The result is approximately 243 million tons of waste generated annually (see References 1, page 5). The most effective waste reduction strategy is not to create waste in the first place. Fortunately, you can reduce your consumption, reuse products already in circulation and recycle the rest in dozens of ways.
How to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle for Kids
The "three Rs" used to refer to reading, writing and arithmetic. Today they also remind us to reduce, reuse and recycle. Teaching your children the new "Rs" is one of the most important contributions you can make toward preserving the health of the planet. Reducing, reusing and recycling cut the amount of energy used to produce new items and the amount of pollution generated as a result. They also conserve valuable natural resources that would otherwise be used to produce new items from raw materials. It's never too early to start teaching these useful practices. (See References 1)
What Does Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Mean?
The items people throw out all take energy to make; many of them are not biodegradable and may take centuries to break down. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produced 4.3 lbs. of trash per person per day in 2009 (see References 2, page 1). Reducing, reusing and recycling -- the three Rs -- are the ways consumers can minimize the volume of waste they generate.
Earth Day Bulletin Board Themes
Raise environmental awareness in your classroom by promoting Earth Day on your bulletin boards. Displaying different themes throughout March and April will have students thinking and talking about environmental issues long before the April 22 observation of Earth Day.
Grey Water in New Home Construction
The process of constructing a new home presents multiple opportunities to better manage grey water on your property, from the appliances you select to your choice of landscaping. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that buildings accounted for just over 12 percent of all water consumed in the United States. One way to conserve is to manage grey water in your new home and put it to other uses. (See References 1).
