The 3 ‘R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – are all about minimising the amount of waste that we produce, reusing products as much as we can, and remembering to recycle any materials that can be used for a new purpose. There are also two additional R’s that we should consider – Rethink and Recover. Here’s some pointers to help you address each R:
Reduce
The first ‘R’ is all about creating less waste.
- Only buy what you need (not what you want!) and in the right amount.
- Only use what you need to.
- Buy local products (and services)
- Buy ethical products
- Choose products with less packaging and use less packaging yourselves.
- Shop for high-quality items
- Buy in bulk.
- Look for items that you can re-use.
- Compost waste.
Reuse
The second ‘R’ looks at how you can use certain items again (ideally multiple times) before replacing them.
- Refill a water bottle with water from home, work or a refill point instead of buying a new one.
- Reuse cardboard boxes, wrapping papers, and chocolate boxes.
- Donate old/unwanted clothes to those that need them.
- Items such as plastic containers and bottles can be reused to store other things or refilled.
- Update your computer rather than throwing it out and getting a replacement.
- Ditch plastic bags and choose reusable, environmentally-friendly bags instead
What’s in your waste that can be reused?
Recycle/Reimagine
The third ‘R’ is about making sure you separate items that can be recycled, meaning they can be used for a new purpose.
- Glass
- Plastic
- Cardboard
- Newspaper
- Batteries (even better use rechargeable batteries)
Plus
Rethink
- Consider how our actions affect the environment.
- Encourage love and respect for nature.
- Preserve natural resources and biodiversity.
- All human beings should commit to loving and respecting our planet
Recover
The practice of putting waste products to use.
- Spread and apply the culture of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle
- Organise campaigns, such as planting and adopting trees because they purify the air
- Switch off electrical appliances such as light bulbs, computers, dryers, etc.
- Participate in global events, such as The Hour of the Planet, where lights and electrical appliances are switched off for one hour
- Promote research in clean technology.
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Produced by the EAFN as part of ‘A Greener Future’ Initiative.
Please contact us if you have any useful additions/updates to this guidance.
