SMARTER WAY OF WASTE MANAGEMENT - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Refuse

If you were not living under a rock, you are probably aware about the 3R’s of Waste Management.  The 3R’s stand for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reducing waste, Reusing materials and recycling products are some the most powerful ways we can protect the environment.  This is a very simple yet very effective method for waste management. Along with this, there is another R – Refuse. In this article, we are going to discuss about them and the easiest way to manage your waste.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHRASE

The origin of the phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle”, is often debated But it can be traced back to the 1970’s. This was during the time of the Vietnam War when Americans were demanding that air pollution, waste and water quality needed attention. Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, listened to the people and decided to bring the nation together for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. This historic day ultimately lead to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) being created that same year. In 1976, Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to increase recycling and conservation efforts as waste became a bigger problem. It is estimated that the slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” was born at this time. And since nowadays, environment friendly tactics are becoming more popular, this phrase has also become more popular.

REDUCING

Reducing is the first and most effective of the three R’s. It means reducing your consumption or buying less. Designing items like plastic bottles in ways that use less material is another way to reduce consumption. Using steel cutlery instead of plastic utensils, buying used goods, and consuming less electricity are all simple yet effective methods of reducing.

REUSING

Reusing is the second most effective of the three R’s. Rather than throwing out items like single side papers, clothing or food jars, consumers can find new uses for them – this is what reusing is. Composting, using jars to store beverages or leftover food, and basically any type of ‘Classic Indian Jugaads’ are all simple yet effective ways people can reuse.

RECYCLING

Recycling is the third of the three R’s. Recycling is basically extracting valuable materials from items that might otherwise be considered trash and turning them into new products. As a consumer, you can also help recycling by purchasing products made from recycled material, such as rough notebook from recycled paper, plastic products made from recycled plastic etc.

REFUSING

Refusing is a newer addition to the 3R’s. This basically means making the correct choices and refusing to generate waste. The most logical way to reduce waste is by simply refusing to consume. This doesn’t mean that you should stop consuming anything and go to the Himalayas and become a monk, it means to stop consuming products made from certain materials or to stop consuming certain type of products. Refusing to buy plastic bags, refusing to smoke a cigarette, etc. are good examples. Another thing to note is that whenever you go to a supermarket, only buy the things that you actually need. Refuse to buy the products that you won’t need. This might sound obvious but people pick up a lot of useless things just because they are at a discount. Keep this point in mind especially before buying food items.

WHY SHOULD I REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE OR REFUSE? 

Saving natural resources:  Reusing discarded products and using recycled materials to make new products reduces the use of new materials, which often involves cutting the trees and mining the earth.
Preventing environmental problems that come from landfills:  Nobody wants a filthy landfill in their neighborhood but unfortunately, we will need landfills as long as we choose to dispose of waste.  Although landfills today are much better than 20 or 30 years ago, they are still a poor use of land and they also contaminate groundwater.
Saving energy:  An enormous amount of energy is required to make products and materials worldwide.  Energy is saved by not using products and materials when at all possible, or by reusing products in their current form.  .   
Preventing pollution:  Almost all manufacturing processes use water and release wastewater and air emissions into the environment. Reducing and reusing products cuts down on manufacturing pollution and industrial pollution.
Saving money:  This is my favorite part about it. We can save money by reusing materials and products and by practicing smart shopping habits that reduce waste.

OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS TO MANAGE WASTE

You might have noticed that the 3 R’s and Refuse are somehow interconnected with each other. If you do one, you are also doing the others to some extent. They are inseparable. Also, another thing that is inseparable is humans and waste. Wherever there are humans, there will be waste. That is inevitable! But the good news is that there are many ways to minimize waste and intelligently manage the waste that is produced. Here are some simple yet effective methods to do it:
When buying produce at the grocery store, avoid packing the product in an extra plastic bag if it isn’t necessary. Vegetables such as potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes, beets and fruits such as bananas, apples, plums, and melons shouldn’t require an extra bag.
Take durable canvas or synthetic-fiber bags, a backpack, or a basket with you to the store, enough to hold whatever you plan on buying.
Get a razor with replaceable blades rather than a disposable razor. You'll still have to throw the old blades away, but you'll save the plastic handle.
For picnics or parties, use re-usable plastic or wooden plates, cups, and utensils instead of disposable paper or plastic ones.
Replace all light bulbs and CFLs with LEDs. This will save you a lot of money and this will also reduce the electricity consumption.
Try towel drying your hair instead of blow-drying it.
If it is cold inside your house, just put on a jacket or sweater instead of turning up the heat.
Donate old clothing items instead of just throwing them away

EASIEST WAY TO REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE AND REFUSE

One of the easiest and smartest ways to accomplish all of them at once is by using our Uneako products. Our products are Unique and eco friendly. All of our products are made from biodegradable and recycled materials which reduce the use of plastic and we also reuse newspapers to make our stationary. So you should  refuse to buy products like pens, pencils, visiting cards, small gift items from other companies and start using Uneako products instead

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We have a wide variety of products ranging from notepads, cheap stationary, colour pencils etc. to luxury pens, gift items and visiting cards. We make sure that you do not have to live with the guilt of destroying the environment. Our products accomplish 2 things at once - one less tree is being cut to make our products and since most of our products come with a plantable seed, one more tree is being planted. That is really a win win situation for everyone!

So what are you waiting for? Buy our unique and eco-friendly products now!