About our consumption of stuff OR not all R’s are created equal

Waste Not Wednesday

Why it’s important:

Our waste issue is more accurately a use issue. Simply put, we have a consumption problem. In addition to using precious resources and creating unmanageable amounts of waste, our current habits and systems of production of material goods are adding lots of carbon pollution into the thickening gas blanket around the earth.

Need some Inspiration? Zero waste Pioneer, Bea Johnson’s family of four is able to fit a year’s worth of garbage into a single mason jar!

Learn how Bea does it.

Action Options:

For one day or one week, track your consumption keeping the first two “R’s” in mind (No need for a mason jar!) Can you shift some of your choices?

Reduce- Cutting consumption is key to reducing the energy used to manufacture and ship goods as well as the materials and energy used in all of that packaging. So, get clear about what you truly need, get it used if you can, buy of a quality that will last a long time, buy items with less of an environmental footprint, buy in bulk or in other ways that minimize packaging, refuse single use items and free items that are headed to the landfill, or fix an older item to avoid the need for a new item!
Reuse- Using something over and over and over again in its current form is the second best option for cutting our waste. Reusing preserves some or all of the energy and materials that went into making an item.
Get what you need used, or rent or borrow it. Repurpose a used item by finding a new purpose for it. Finally, resell if it’s of quality or give away your “old” goods to friends or charity or use freecycle.
Recycling- Use recycling as a last resort, it uses resources and energy and can have other negative consequences.

Reduce. Reuse. And Then, When All Else Fails, Recycle.

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Reduce. Reuse. And Then, When All Else Fails, Recycle. +++

-Columbia Climate School

Here’s a little history about the three R’s.

“By the time the slogan, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” was popularized in the 1970’s our consumerist economy was in full swing. Manufacturers couldn’t afford to have people buying less by reducing purchases and reusing products, and people weren’t interested in reducing their consumption. While recycling should have been the last resort, people began to consider it the singular solution to our waste problem. The image of three green arrows became a symbol for commercial recycling, and ideas of reducing and reusing were quickly forgotten.”