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0 Starting in elementary school, the base of environmental education has been around the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This phrase came to fruition in the 1970s, as the first Earth Day happened on April 22, 1970, and the American Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in 1976, which increased public knowledge of recycling and conservation (Pantheon Enterprises, 2016). We have been taught that these three methods are the only way to reduce the waste in landfills, cluttering the Earth and contributing to greenhouse emissions. In fact, 23% of Canada’s methane emissions come from municipal solid waste landfills (Government of Canada, 2022). However, the use of these three methods has not been enough. To be better for the environment, people should expand the 3Rs to 6Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, Repair and Refuse. This article will discuss the impact and usage of the 6Rs and how individuals can practice them.
It can be argued that there is a hierarchy in the usefulness of the 6Rs, with recycling being the least environmentally friendly as the items still end up as waste in some capacity, refusing and reducing being the most effective, and reusing, repairing and repurposing falling in the middle of the spectrum.
Recycle
Recycling is the most commonly practiced of the 6Rs. It is so normalized that municipalities provide recycling bins and have designated pick-up days for recyclable products. This availability has made recycling easy and convenient for consumers, allowing them to feel they have made a difference. While recycling is an easy way to be environmentally friendly, it is not enough.
The most effective way an individual can recycle for the betterment of the environment is to be wary of what they put in their recycling bin. Items allowed in the recycling bin include glass bottles and jars, food jars, clear food containers, detergent bottles, milk bags, aluminum cans, newspapers, paper containers, cardboard and many other items (City of Toronto, 2017). Specific things that are often recycled despite not being recyclable include tissues, napkins and paper towels, foil food wraps, glass crockery, bubble wraps and others (City of Toronto, 2017). If a person is unsure about whether or not their items are recyclable, they should check for a recycling symbol on the bottom of the product or do some research (Hunt, 2018). People should also ensure that there is no food waste on the items they intend to recycle. These minor actions can make recycling worth it, as recycling incorrectly causes harm by requiring the non-recyclable materials to be moved from the recycling facility to the landfill, and items contaminated with food waste can be turned away completely.
Reusing, Repurposing and Repairing
Reusing, repurposing and repairing are all similar in their function – they prolong the lifespan of an existing product before it ends up being recycled or dumped in a landfill or incinerator. Of the 6rs, these fall in the middle of the spectrum of effectiveness. These three methods have many advantages: they delay or even eliminate the cost of purchasing a new product, save money and emissions attached to obtaining a new product, reduce waste by giving the product new life and use significantly less energy than recycling products or having the products materials remade into a new product (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). Repurposing is also commonly referred to as upcycling.
The use of each of these methods depends on the material and type of product. Plastics can be refilled and reused, like plastic water bottles or cartons. Instead of tossing clothes with holes, sewing the holes or adding patches can extend their lifespan. Clothing can also be repurposed, through upcycling, turning an older dress into a shirt or a skirt or turning an out-of-style or ill-fitting pair of pants or jeans into wearable shorts. Donating clothes is a great way to get rid of clothing no longer worn, but donated items often end up in landfills. Electronics that have broken parts can be repaired or broken down into scraps and used in other electronics, helping to lower the amount of e-waste in landfills and incinerators. Even food scraps can be repurposed into something else. Properly composted food can be used as fertilizer for backyards and lawns. Cucumber peel can be used to moisturize skin in bathwater; citrus peels can be turned into candy, and egg shells can be crushed into a fine powder and used as a cleaning agent.
Reducing and Refusing
These two methods are the most effective of the 6Rs. It has been noted by many that reducing is the most effective of the original 3Rs but is often ignored in favour of recycling (Rehkopf, 2022). Reducing minimizes the problem of waste by minimizing the amount of waste a person produces. By purchasing less of an item and narrowing usage down to what is needed, an individual saves money and reduces their individual carbon footprint. Refusing furthers the efforts of reducing by stopping the waste from accumulating instead of minimizing it.
This can occur with food waste and clothing. When shopping, think critically about purchases. Is it needed? Will it be used effectively and efficiently? If it is replacing something, can the existing product be repaired or repurposed? Is it needed regularly enough that it cannot be borrowed or rented? These thoughts can save money and help the environment. Moreover, for food, planning before going to the grocery store can help prevent duplicates and will help with buying only the necessities. Food scraps should also be composted or repurposed, and unused or unwanted but still fresh food should be donated to food banks and shelters. For clothing, before purchasing an item, actively consider whether it is needed, whether it will be worn and what it can be worn with. This can reduce the amount of money a person spends on clothing and the clothes that will end up in landfills and incinerators.
Refusing stops waste from the onset. By not purchasing an item, a person does not have to think of how to mitigate the waste produced by it. This happens with every type of shopping, whether it be not buying groceries, clothing, electronics, decoration or anything else because it is simply not needed, refusing to use plastic straws, shopping bags and cups and instead bringing your own reusable ones, or not purchasing products that have excessive plastic packaging to reduce waste. Unsubscribing from physical flyers and opting to get bills online instead of physically is also another way to refuse waste.
References
City of Toronto. (2017). What goes in the blue bin (recycling)? City of Toronto. https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/houses/what-goes-in-my-blue-bin/
Government of Canada. (2022, January 28). Reducing methane emissions from Canada’s municipal solid waste landfills: discussion paper. Canada.Ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/reducing-methane-emissions-canada-municipal-solid-waste-landfills-discussion.html
Hunt, K. (2018, September 13). What do the numbers on recyclable plastics mean? Green Matters. https://www.greenmatters.com/renewables/2018/09/13/ZG59GA/plastic-recycling-numbers-resin-codes
Pantheon Enterprises. (2016, November 14). The story behind “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Pantheon Enterprises. http://pantheonchemical.com/reduce-reuse-recycle/
Rehkopf, C. (2022, April 17). Opinion: Reduce, reuse, and recycle are not all equal. M-A Chronicle. https://machronicle.com/opinion-reduce-reuse-and-recycle-are-not-all-equal/
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Reducing and reusing basics. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics
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