The three Rs – reuse, reduce, and recycle – are three principles followed by people who want to live a more environmentally-friendly life.
Recycling is an easy one. Many cities and towns now have programs to encourage recycling and discourage waste. Additionally, throwing recyclables into a separate bin doesn’t require much of a lifestyle change.
Reuse and reduce tend to be a little more difficult. Here are some small ways you can put these principles into action.
Reuse and reduce tend to go hand-in-hand; the more you reuse the less you need to replace, so you end up reducing your consumption.
Joe to go: If you’re the type of person who can’t start the day without a cup of hot coffee, why not bring your own mug? Washing a reusable mug uses less energy the making and shipping new disposable ones and you won’t be lining landfills with cups, often made of difficult-to-decompose Styrofoam. Additionally, some coffee shops offer discounts to those who bring their own mug. Same goes for water bottles and other packaged food. Have a few reusable containers you can refill instead of buying individual serving containers.
Lunch time: When it comes to storing leftovers or packing a lunch, skip plastic wrap and sandwich baggies, which are thrown out after a single use. Instead, use reusable food containers.
Carried away: Instead of relying on stores or supermarkets to provide shopping bags, bring cloth bags. Cloth bags, in addition to being reusable, tend to be sturdier than plastic bags so there’s no double-bagging or dropped groceries. If you do have plastic bags, don’t just throw them out. Some stores have recycling programs so the plastic bags don’t go to waste.
Cleaning green: Instead of paper napkins, use cloth ones on the dinner table. They tend to be more absorbent and they make the table seem extra fancy. Same goes for paper towels. Use cloth ones, like those on page 6, to clean up messes without the waste.
Exercise: When possible, walk or bike instead of driving to go to work or while running errands.
Repair first: If you have furniture or an appliance that breaks, try to repair it before replacing. If you do have to replace something new, consider finding an option made with responsibly-sourced materials and that is energy efficient, such as those with an Energy Star rating from the Environmental Protection Agency. You’ll end up reducing your energy use – and your bill.
Light it up: Swap out incandescent light bulbs with more efficient LED bulbs. You’ll pay more up front, but the bulbs last longer and use less energy. Incandescent bulbs are being phased out anyway, so you’re more likely to find the efficient bulbs in stores.
A new home: When you’re done with something, whether you’ve out-grown clothes or toys or simply no longer want something, find it a new home if it still works. Consider holding a community yard sale, donating to a thrift store or dropping off a town’s swap shop. When it’s time to buy something, check out similar places first.
Borrow: If there’s something you need now, but won’t use very often, like a power tool, see if you can borrow it from someone else.
More is less: If you know you’re going to use something, buy in bulk. Economy-size products use less packaging and usually cost less than the same product package in smaller amounts. Just be sure you need what you buy, so you don’t end up throwing excess out if it spoils.
Compost: Turn food waste into rich soil. Grass clippings, leaves, paper, coffee grounds, food waste and more can decay into a compost that can be put to good use in the garden.
Paper problems: Make sure to use both sides of paper, either for scrap or kids’ art projects. You can also limit what “junk” mail you receive by contacting the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service and asking to be taken off their list.
Yankee ingenuity: A little creativity and some saved odds and ends can become just about anything. Reuse scraps and other items to build unique touches to your home.
Some of these take a bit more of a lifestyle change than others, but even a few small changes can help reduce your impact on waste and limit what goes into landfills.