Image source - Recycling concept © airborne77
Have you heard of the Five R’s? Most of you will have heard of the Three R’s, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle designed to benefit, save and extend the life of the planet. There are however two more that have been added to the equation giving us the very useful Five R’s for Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle. The order in which the R’s are in is also of importance as the further up the scale you are the better the option is that you are choosing. So what exactly is each one about?
Refuse:
Everything that we buy has an environmental cost whether it be through pollution or destruction. Having the ability to refuse buying things that you don’t necessarily need can make a real difference to the environment and save on things such as greenhouse gasses. Next time you’re out shopping think about what you are buying and ask yourself do you need that? By shopping responsibly you can indicate to companies what you want to see and what you don’t want to see on their shelves. Remember this is first on the scale of the Five R’s and is the most important factor to consider in order to reduce some of the problems our planet is facing.
Reduce:
Reduce although similar to Refuse is all about reducing the amount that you buy. For example, you need to buy food but you don’t necessarily need to purchase the amount that you do. The same goes for all items including clothing, cooking appliances and much more. Do you need everything you say you need or could you get by with minimal buying? A good way to determine whether or not you need to make a purchase is to decide whether or not you will use it much and if the answer is no you can probably do without it.
Reuse:
The unfortunate reality of the things that we buy is that almost all of it will end up being thrown away at some point. Our once so precious or not so precious purchases become part of the ever increasing piles at landfills, pollution of oceans or emission of greenhouse gasses. Instead of discarding of your items so quickly think about how they can be reused. Is it possible for you to get crafty and make something from the item you no longer need, or could you sell it to somebody else or donate it to charity?
Repurpose:
Also known as Upcycling or DIY, Repurpose is all about altering something you already have so that it serves as something completely different. Just because it is no longer useful for the reason you bought it doesn’t mean it can’t be used for something else. There are loads of ideas and examples of upcycling on the internet and Instagram.
Recycle:
The final stage of the Five R’s and the last resort that should be taken. If all else fails for you recycle everything you can so that it can be broken down and made into something completely new. Materials such as wood, metal, paper, cardboard and most plastics can be recycled. Other recyclable items include electronics and e-waste.
Source - http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/the-5-rs-refuse-reduce-reuse-repurpose-recycle/
