Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R strategies)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Learn how reducing, reusing, and recycling can help you, your community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. Recycling programs are managed at the state and local level—find information on recycling in your community.

3R strategies are methods or approaches that aim to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste materials and resources in order to protect the environment and promote sustainability. There are different types of 3R strategies, depending on the context and the purpose. Some examples are:

• 3R strategies for waste management: These are strategies that help to minimize the amount of waste generated, reuse the waste materials for other purposes, and recycle the waste materials into new products. These strategies can help to conserve natural resources, save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent pollution. 
• 3R strategies for conservation: These are strategies that help to preserve the natural environment and its biodiversity, by reducing the human impact on the ecosystems, reusing the natural resources in a sustainable way, and recycling the organic waste into compost or biogas. These strategies can help to protect the wildlife, maintain the ecological balance, and enhance the quality of life.
• 3R strategies for sustainability: These are strategies that help to achieve a balance between the social, economic, and environmental aspects of development, by reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources, reusing the existing resources in a circular way, and recycling the waste resources into value-added products. These strategies can help to create a green economy, foster innovation and creativity, and improve human well-being. 

Reducing and Reusing Basics

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money.

separate your waste e.g. glasses in glass basket , plastic in plastic basket and metals in separate basket.

Benefits of Reducing and Reusing

·         Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials

·         Saves energy

·         Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change

·         Helps sustain the environment for future generations

·         Saves money

·         Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators

Allows products to be used to their fullest extent.

Donation

One person's trash is another person's treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them. Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others.

 Local churches, community centers, thrift stores, schools and nonprofit organizations may accept a variety of donated items, including used books, working electronics and unneeded furniture.

Benefits of Donation

·         Prevents usable goods from going into landfills

·         Helps your community and those in need

Tax benefits may be available

Recycling Basics

Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.

Benefits of Recycling

·         Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and combustion facilities

·         Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals

·         Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials

·         Saves energy

·         Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change

·         Helps sustain the environment for future generations

Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States

Steps to Recycling Materials

Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.
1- Collection and processing
2-Manufacturing
3-Purchasing new products made from recycled materials

Electronics Donation and Recycling

Electronics donation and recycling is a great way to help conserve resources and natural materials. It is important to make sure you are donating and/or recycling electronics safely and correctly.

Why Recycle Electronic Products

Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

For example:

·         Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.

For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.