Did you know that, on average, Americans generate roughly 1.6 million tons of waste every year? That’s the same weight as 10,667 blue whales! And that’s just in waste alone, not to mention other things that contribute to pollution every year. We, as humans, have to do something about this! By following the three “R”s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, we can help decrease the amount of waste we use, and help make our Earth happier and healthier! This year’s Pollution Prevention Week, coming up on September 20-26th, is a weeklong celebration of the things we are already doing to help clean up the Earth. It is also a time to look and see if there are other things we could be doing as individuals to help take another step in the green direction. In honor of Pollution Prevention Week, here are a couple tips to help you Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle in your life!

 Reduce

            Buy what you Need

You can reduce your waste by only buying what you need, and not buying something you already own! Roughly 42% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States comes from transporting and getting rid of food and goods. By only buying what we need, and making sure to eat/use the things we own before they go bad, we can reduce the amount of food we are throwing away.

            Rent instead of Buy

Sometimes, a project requires a very specific tool. But, you may never have another project that needs that specific tool again. Rather than buying the tool just for that one job, and then leaving it to collect dust on your shelf, look into renting the tool instead. It may be cheaper than having to pay for the item brand new, and this way you can use it and return it and clear up space in your home. You could also try and share things between you and your friends. Things like party decorations can easily be shared between a group of friends or family, for the few times a year that they’re truly needed. Rather than everyone spending money to buy these things time and time again, having ones you can share helps everyone save money and reduce the waste from decorations being used once and thrown away.

            Water Bottles

This is one of the things that most people have heard about when it comes to reducing waste. By getting a refillable water bottle, instead of buying cases of one-time plastic water bottles, you can reduce the amount of plastic being produced. True, these plastic bottles can be recycled, but they aren’t always put in the recycling bin. By reducing the amount made at the beginning, we can reduce the amount that could end up in the landfill instead of at the recycling plant.

Reuse

            Fix it, don’t Trash it

Try to keep all your appliances and furniture in as good of shape as possible. If something has a minor break, try to fix it instead of just throwing it away and buying something new. If your shirt gets a hole or a button falls off, sew it back up instead. Clothing can also be repurposed into something else. A pair of jeans could be cut up into shorts, or made into a skirt. You could even turn them into a fun purse! Old t-shirts can be cut up into rags to use when cleaning up something gross, and that way you don’t ruin new towels. Socks can be used to help dust the house; cloth handkerchiefs reduce the amount of tissues that get thrown away. Many items of clothing can be reused as something else if you just put your mind to it! 

            Buy Used

If it comes time to buy something else, try buying used furniture instead of buying brand new. This will decrease waste from producing something new, and you may be able to get the item cheaper this way!

            Reusable Containers

Using containers instead of plastic bags is a great way to reduce waste! Containers can easily be washed, dryed, and used again. They are a great thing to take with you to restaurants as well, in case you have leftovers. Bringing your own containers eliminates the need to grab the styrofoam to-go containers restaurants give out, which reduces the amount being thrown away later on.

 Recycle

            Recycle

Recycling items like plastic, paper, glass, and cardboard is a simple yet effective way to help the Earth. Not only does it help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and help conserve our natural resources, but it helps support American manufacturing as well as create jobs here in the United States, in the recycling industries. A study done in 2016 found that recycling and reusing items in the US created over 680,000 jobs! And by recycling these items, we can make many more! Many items are marked as made from recycled material; by buying these items, you are helping continue the cycle of recycling and using recycled materials to help the environment. For more information on what types of items can be recycled, and how to know what is recyclable, you can go to https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables

            Composting

A great way to recycle old food is by composting! Compost is “decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer” (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/compost). It is used to enrich your soil and help keep moisture within, which can keep away bugs and plant diseases. It also helps create an environment for bacteria and fungi to come in and break down the food into humus- a rich nutrient-filled material. By composting, we not only reduce the need for chemicals in our fertilizers, but we also decrease the amount of harmful emissions coming from landfills, which is always a great thing! You can compost a whole bunch of things, like fruits and veggies, coffee grounds, leaves, grass clippings, sawdust, and leaves! But there are some things that should not be composted, like dairy products or pet waste. For a more complete list of good and bad things to compost, as well as more information on how to compost and the benefits of it, you can go to https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.

            Sell, Donate, or Recycle your Clothes

If your clothes have gone out of style, or maybe no longer fit, but are still in good condition, don’t just throw them away! Donate them instead! The United States could reduce carbon emissions by 30.6 million metric tons if everyone recycled their clothing for just one year instead of just throwing them away. Some companies, like Plato’s Closet or Poshmark, will buy used clothing that’s still in good condition, so you could make some money while helping the environment.

Donating items to places like Goodwill or PlanetAid help the environment as well as raise money for charitable causes. Goodwill helps put on programs for senior citizens, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. PlanetAid takes the clothing recycled to them and reuses them in developing countries, where they are in need of clothing but don’t have the access to it like we do here. By supporting organizations like these, we are helping the earth and our fellow humans.

If you have clothing that has been well-loved and well-worn, and just isn’t in the condition to be passed to someone else anymore, you can recycle the items at places like Blue Jeans Go Green or USAgain. These organizations help recycle clothing back into its original state to create new clothing, or take worn items and send them to places around the world for people to be able to have affordable clothing.

             The tips listed here are just a few of the many, many things we can do to help prevent pollution. This Pollution Prevention Week, we invite you to take a look at all the great things you are already doing in your life, and celebrate those accomplishments! Also take a moment to see if there are any other things you could be doing to take another step in the green direction. Anne Marie Bonneau said, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly (pinterest.com).” If we can all take another step in reducing pollution, we would be one step closer to a happier, healthier, cleaner Earth!

 References

B. (2020, October 11). Reduce, reuse, recycle banner for ecology concept. Dreamstime.

https://www.dreamstime.com/reduce-reuse-recycle-banner-ecology-concept-environm

ntal-protection-zero-waste-eco-friendly-saving-planet-reducing-image198657018

Earth Day Quotes | Earth day quotes, Wasted quote, Zero waste. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved

August 10, 2021, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/792633603147372515/

How to Sell, Donate or Recycle Your Old Clothes. (2016, October 23). StocktonRecycles.

https://stocktonrecycles.com/how-to-sell-donate-or-recycle-your-old-clothes/

Pollution Prevention Tips at Home. (2021, August 10). US EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/p2week/pollution-prevention-tips-home

Recycling Basics. (2020, November 12). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics

Reducing and Reusing Basics. (2021, January 15). US EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics