While most people have grown up familiar with the "Three R's" of Reduce (reducing the amount of resources we use in daily life), Re-use (finding useful ways to find additional purposes for the containers we use) and Recycle (finding ways to turn our used containers into useful items), most of us don't realize that these terms are ordered according to their effectiveness in minimizing impacts. For example, reducing what we buy and use has a more positive impact than buying something and re-using or recycling it. With this in mind, here is a refresher on the specifics of each:
Reduce the amount of waste you create:
Reducing the amount of waste you produce means you are keeping waste out of landfills (and recycling facilities). Avoiding items that will be used only once (known as "single-use"), such as disposable water bottles, plastic straws, and cutlery goes a long way to minimizing the amount of trash that gets produced and must be dealt with.
Re-use items that could have a secondary purpose:
Finding a legitimate additional use for items you acquire can be a great way to keep items out of the the landfill. For example, donating clothing you no longer use to a thrift store means those items will have a second life and reduce the need to produce new items. In addition, bottles and other containers can be re-purposed into such things as craft projects, toys for kids, or garden containers.
Recycle items that have been created and cannot be re-used:
Not everything can be reduced or reused. Recognizing this reality, the third most effective option is to find a way to recycle. Most communities have the capacity to collect plastic bottles, glass containers and metal cans. We can do our part by making sure these containers are clean and empty, with the lid removed. Much of what gets placed in recycle bins is placed there by well-intentioned people who want to do the right thing, but have inserted items into the recycle system that cannot be recycled. Some examples are greasy pizza boxes, bottles still containing food/liquid, and items with multiple materials, such as drink pouches containing both plastic and metal. Oftentimes just one item can contaminate an entire container of recyclables, meaning an entire batch of potentially useful recycling ends up in the landfill.
The Field Station actively teaches and models Reducing, Re-using, and Recycling and has the appropriate bins for metal, plastics, glass and paper. In addition, guests have access to a compost bin, which further reduces the amount of trash that gets generated. Food scraps generated from meal production can be composted, which keeps unused food out of the waste stream and turns that organic waste into usable compost.
