“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is cute, but honestly it’s so last decade. There are actually 7 R’s to live by – I think we can all evaluate how we’re doing for each one to change the impact we’re having on the planet. You can trace almost anything I’ll discuss on this site to one of these R’s.
We spend a lot of brain space on recycling, which isn’t a bad thing, but notice how low recycling is on the list. The recycling system in the US, and arguably across the world, is broken, but I’ll save that for another day.
The main idea is:
- Buy/acquire less stuff. Be mindful of what you really need.
- Take care of the stuff you do have for as long as you can and give it as many new lives as possible.
- When it’s time to get rid of something, take into consideration where it will end up.
Note: I was surprised at the lack of clear graphics that explain this concept, so I made my own. You may see other terms used, like “Rethink” or “Recover,” but these are the most concise for me. Don’t forget, the order is one of the most important parts.