Simple Tips to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These are the three ways on how you can help lessen the accumulation of garbage and waste. By doing these three things even in your own household, you can greatly make a difference for the environment.

Simple Ways to Reduce

Reducing is considered to be the first step in lessening waste. Reducing can be done by limiting your purchases to the essentials, buying products with less packaging, buying reusable items and purchasing in bulk. Apart from them, there are also simple ways on how you can reduce waste in your household:

• Make a shopping list before going to the supermarket. This way, you will limit your buying to those that are on your list.
• Avoid using disposable batteries; use rechargeable ones instead.
• Buy reusable products such as reusable food containers, utensils, and others.
• Use a lunch box instead of paper or plastic bags.
• Use a mug instead of paper cups or Styrofoam to get coffee or any hot drinks.
• Use a reusable water container instead of always buying bottled water.

Simple Ways to Reuse

Rather than throwing items outright, it is best to find an alternative use for them. You can reuse them for the same purpose as they are intended or find a new use for them. Here are a few simple ways:

• Wash and reuse Ziplocs.
• Turn large and small jars into cookie jars or use them to keep bits and pieces like nails, screws and the like.
• Wash and reuse aluminum foils as much as possible.
• Make use of used plastic bags when you go to the grocery store or market instead of using a new one.
• Reuse plastic bags as trash can liners; substitute for disposable gloves and as packaging material.
• Reuse newspaper for cleaning glass windows; substitute for starter log in a fireplace, for wrapping breakable items and for making decorative arts.
• Recycle cartoon boxes as storage containers or packing containers.

Simple Ways to Recycle

In many household, there are many items that are considered as trash but can still be recycled to make new products. Common recyclable items include plastic and glass products that can no longer be reused, newspapers, old or defective electronic items, cardboard and many others. You can turn them over to recycling facilities or junk shops that collect these items. Here are some simple ways to recycle:

• Assign a convenient place in your house to collect recyclable items; it could be in your backyard or any place readily accessible.
• Make a separate container for each type of recyclable item such as one container each for plastics, glasses or breakables, papers, newspapers or cartoons, electronic items, and other types.
• Make sure that before putting items into their respective recyclable containers, you no longer have any use for them.
• Before throwing anything in the garbage, think first for a moment if there’s a way to reduce, reuse or recycle them.
• Before putting plastic bottles in the recyclable, empty them first as the liquid contents may cause damage to recycling equipment.
• Do not include broken ceramics or glass in your recyclable items as they are not acceptable for recycling.
• Browse the Internet for items that are recyclable; print them and post in your home where anyone can have access to them.

By applying these simple tips to reduce, reuse and recycle, you will not only save money but you can also contribute your part for the environment.