Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Learn the meaning and actions of reduce, reuse and recycle.
Everyone knows or has heard about the three Rs. But what do they really mean??
When we talk about the waste we generate and how it's managed, these terms are listed in order of priority. Let's take a look at each term individually.
Reduce
Don't make trash in the first place.
Reduction is priority #1. Use less stuff, decrease your consumption, and minimize your waste footprint. Ultimately, garbage is buried in a landfill and never used again. Choosing to reduce waste requires people to consider how to prevent trash and household waste from going into the garbage can.
Reduce Tips:
- Do not purchase disposable items such as paper products, straws, and single-serving containers. Select sturdy and washable utensils and tableware at home, picnics, and parties.
- Pack lunches in a reusable bag with reusable food and drink containers. Include a cloth napkin.
- If you must use single-use items, take only what you need. Take one paper napkin instead of a handful.
- Compost yard and food waste to decrease your trash and prevent the loss of nutrients.
- Share tools and other items with neighbors and friends, or rent them as needed.
Reuse
Common materials are used again for the same purpose or something different.
If you can't reduce, then consider reuse. By taking care of items or doing routine maintenance on goods, they can be used longer. Reuse activities includes things like fixing a broken game, sewing a torn shirt, or turning that old pair of jeans into a new purse.
Repairing broken items saves money by making the purchase last longer. It also creates less trash. Put your creative reuse ideas into action by crafting a treasure box from a carton, making a bracelet from a toothbrush, designing a greeting card from an old CD case, or building a new piece of furniture from salvaged wood.
Reuse Tips:
- Help others by reusing unwanted items through donations to churches or nonprofit organizations. Look into Freecycle or other goods-sharing sites.
- Mend clothing and repair shoes, boots, handbags, and luggage whenever possible.
- Use washable cloth napkins, sponges, and dishcloths.
- Purchase refillable items.
- Reuse single-sided printed pages for scratch paper.
- Find new homes for clothing and linens, or use them for rags, patchwork, and other projects.
National Reuse Day is celebrated annually on October 20. See Eight Ways to Reduce Waste on National Reuse Day.
Recycle
Collecting, processing, and selling products made from old materials.
If you cannot reduce or reuse first, consider whether your item can be recycled. In Cuyahoga County, depending on the community you live in, certain items can be placed in your curbside recycling bin or cart. Other items can be recycled in a drop-off at retail stores, city service departments, or other business locations.
A recycled plastic soda bottle is chipped, melted, and made into fiber, which becomes a jacket or sleeping bag stuffing. The old material in a new product is called recycled content. Some products are made with 100% recycled content such as a cereal box made only from recycled paper. An aluminum can might only be made from 40% recycled content because the can must be made from some bauxite (its natural resource) to keep it strong.
Most communities in Cuyahoga County will pick up mixed recycling at the curb. See details for your community.
If a community does not have a curbside program, there may be recycling drop-off bins available for residents. Some local businesses, schools, and nonprofits host drop-off recycling containers for paper or other items.