“Recycle, Reuse, Reduce” or “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”?
By Erica Leung
Everyone knows the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. However, not everyone thinks about the importance of the order of this phrase.
A major issue in human society is the “throwaway” culture that is strongly reinforced by consumerism. Think about the number of times you bought a cup of coffee this week. Just by peering into random trash cans on campus, you can see they are almost always filled with paper cups or other waste. Overconsumption and excessive production of short-lived items over durable goods contributes to this culture. The more we consume, whether it be clothes or food, we directly influence the demand for certain products and in turn, companies will supply more of these products. Sustainable packaging (ex. recyclable material, zero plastics) and certifications (ex. Fair Trade) have been adopted by some corporations, which is great for the environment since that fits under the “reuse” and “recycle” categories of the 3 R’s.
“If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness.” — Dalai Lama
To address waste pollution directly, consumers should make more of an effort to reduce. Choosing to not purchase items you don’t need is a huge, first step. That Starbucks coffee you’re really craving? Make your coffee at home instead! The simple action of choosing products with minimal/sustainable packaging is the second step. Everything you throw away has some sort of impact on our environment. With a “reduce” mindset, it’s easy for anyone to be more sustainable and reduce their impact on the environment.
References
First Year Success (n.d.). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. [Image]. Retrieved from: https://firstyearsuccess.wordpress.com/2017/10/27/reduce-reuse-recycle/
Green Calgary. (2017). Reduce before you recycle. Retrieved from: http://www.greencalgary.org/blog/reduce-you-recycle/
