How to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

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By HS Schulte
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Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

The words to the left are listed as Reuse, Reduce and Recycle because they fit neatly into the graphic that way. But, a more appropriate order is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reducing the amount we use, reduces the amount of energy consumed and limits our footprint on the earth. Consuming less is the first and most important step. Once we have limited our use, reusing should be our goal. Reusing items limits the amount of resources consumed recycling and lessens the impact of their waste on the environment. Recycling, the last step, uses resources. But, it also helps to limit the amount of waste impacting our environment.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Your mind
Your desire to make a change

Step 1

Reduce. Reducing can be accomplished in two ways. By reusing (the next step) you can reduce waste. You can also reduce the amount you use by taking steps to use less. Use less energy, use less product, use less gasoline. In otherwords, be frugal.
Step 2

Reuse. Reuse can be accomplished by putting items we are tempted to throw away to use in our daily lives. Look for new ways to reuse an item before throwing it in the garbage. If you can't think of a way to reuse your item, you can offer it to other people. Freecycle is a global organization with local chapters in each area. The local chapters are Yahoo email groups. You can get online and offer your items to others. If there isn't a chapter in your area, it isn't difficult to start one. There is a Freecycle link at the bottom of this article. Food scraps can be reused by composting and returning the food to the earth. This is a great way to fertilize your garden or plants as well.
Step 3

Recycle. Recycle anything that would end up as waste by setting up bins in your home for recycling paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. Recycling further reduces the waste we each produce by putting the materials back into use rather than filling up landfills.