Reduce, reuse, recycle (also known as R3) is a widely accepted waste management method designed to reduce the total use of environmental resources and lessen humans' carbon footprint on earth.
Reducing involves limiting purchases and accummulation; consequently reducing the amount of waste produced. Reduction strategies include buying used products; avoiding disposable products; renting or borrowing in place of new purchases; and phasing print mail out of your life.
Reusing products makes both environmental and economical sense. Reusing strategies include buying used goods, reusing products such as bags for the same purpose, repairing broken products instead of buying new ones and borrowing or sharing infrequently used items such as decorations.
Recycling refers to processing, treating or converting an object into reusable materials. Commercial products made from recyclable or recycled materials almost always contain a symbol on their packaging. Buy these products instead of conventional ones. You can also practice recycling by collecting recyclable materials such as old electronics in your house and dropping them off at a collection center. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Reusables are great — if you wash them
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From water bottles and bags to straws and food containers, here's how to clean all your reusable items.
Buying 'green' won't make you any happier, but buying less will
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'Green' materialism is still materialism.
What you should always ask before you buy
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Do you really need that new thing? And where will the old one end up?
This isn't your father's rental furniture
July 17, 2019, 8:31 a.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
Renting furniture is less trouble — and less likely to end up in the landfill.
Wild bees are recycling plastic, study finds
June 3, 2019, 11:34 a.m. by Russell McLendon
Bee species have begun using plastic waste to build their nests, hinting at the extent of plastic pollution as well as nature's limited ability to adapt.
Malaysia is sending trash back to the countries that created it
May 30, 2019, 8:15 a.m. by Christian Cotroneo
Mind your wasteful ways, minister tells the West.
Chipper the dog sets a high bar for recycling
May 8, 2019, 5:04 p.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
This smart pup will pick up plastic bottles, cans and even old shoes.
Danish island embraces trash-free lifestyle
April 29, 2019, 8:25 a.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
By 2032, everything will be recycled, repaired or reused.
Artists transform old Ikea furniture into 'wildhomes' for urban wildlife
March 25, 2019, 9:18 a.m. by Matt Hickman
Birds, bees, bats and bees in one London park just got swank new digs.
More and more, America's recyclable plastic is being burned, not recycled
March 12, 2019, 8:20 a.m. by Matt Hickman
Incineration plants go into overdrive following Chinese crackdown on foreign waste.
Why you shouldn't separate the cap from a plastic bottle to recycle it
March 8, 2019, 10:51 a.m. by Christian Cotroneo
People tend to recycle more when they're asked to do less.
Which baby items are safe to buy used?
March 8, 2019, 9:43 a.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
Secondhand items are great for your baby and the planet, but only if they're safe.
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