The Environmental Protection Agency wants you to learn the three “Rs” when it comes to your trash. Those three words are very important if you want to continue living on a clean planet that is not overflowing with yesterday’s trash.
Reduce reuse recycling is the mantra that you must repeat every time you go to throw something away. Once you learn the three “Rs,” you can set a better example and help your environmental services program combat the endless supply of trash.
The first “R” of the three refers to reduce. This means reducing the amount of garbage you generate. Try to buy items that last longer so you don’t have to buy them as often. Sure, there will be some items that don’t have a long shelf life, but you can still try to find the items that do.
Some containers contain more aggressive chemicals than others. It may cost a dollar or two more, but try to choose items with less packaging.
In the pursuit of reducing reuse, recycle; reuse is next on the agenda. Try to reuse as many products as possible in your own home. Plastic milk jugs make great jugs for tea and water.
They can also be used as flower pots once you decorate them a bit. At the municipal level, reuse also occurs when recyclables are transformed into different products, such as asphalt to pave roads or new notebooks.
The final “R” stands for recycling. This means using a recycling program from your local environmental services or sanitation department. You can ask them what materials are accepted locally and then get the appropriate recycling bins that you can put that material in for them to collect.
Plastics go in a container. The paper goes into another container and the glass into a separate container. Then all three, along with the trash that cannot be recycled, are collected by your local sanitation or recycling program. Plus, you can recycle your food waste products by starting a compost pile.
Reduce reuse recycling it all starts with you at home. Reduce the amount of waste you create by choosing to use items that last longer. Buy recycled products and reuse some of the ones you already have around your house, like plastic milk jugs. Separate your garbage in the proper recycling bin. Teach the people around you that recycling is a great way to help the environment. To learn more about the three “Rs” and how you can do your part, visit “Epa”. Find out how one person can make a difference.