During the environmental movement of the 1960s and 70s, a phrase we all know well was born: “Reduce, reuse, and recycle.” In our day and age however, one seems to be emphasized over the others: recycling.
Don’t get me wrong—I am not against recycling by any means. This is not an argument against recycling, but a call for us to examine the other two ‘Rs’. There is a reason why recycling comes last—because it is the least effective of the three and uses the most amount of extra energy. The recycled materials are transported elsewhere, often internationally, and then energy is used to break down the product.
Out of all three ‘Rs,’ reducing has by far the most impact. Simply not using a product that is not environmentally friendly is always the most beneficial. If we all begin to not use certain products, the market will turn to where our demand and consumption are.
This doesn’t have to be radical. There are little things that you can do in your life to both reuse and reduce. If you are off campus, switch to reusing your containers you get at the store for food instead of using plastic baggies; take a reusable cup with you instead of getting plastic cups or plastic water bottles; if you are going to Starbucks, bring your own mug (you get a discount if you do) or maybe just don’t take a sleeve; buy food in bulk instead of individually wrapped; when you go out to the grocery store, bring reusable bags. If you forget them, maybe just don’t get any bags at all. I see many people coming out from the store who only got a few items and are still carrying them in a bag. You have two hands that God gave you. Use them wisely. Reducing can even be as simple as carpooling.
Yes, this might take a bit of an effort. You might have to remember to bring around a water bottle or put in a bit of an effort to carpool, but we are called to use our resources wisely and steward them well—even if that means putting in a little bit of extra work.
And what about reusing? There are so many ways that you can use things a second, third or fourth time. Offer it up to your friends as well. I broke my shoe, and the bottom started coming off. Instead of throwing it away, I just glued the bottom back on. Before you throw things away, begin to think of other ways you could use them (ex: we cut up old t-shirts at my house and use them as rags). Buy more second-hand and sell more second-hand. This practice is not only better for the environment, but better for your wallet as well.
The first step to change is consciousness. Start to pay attention to how much you use--even the little things. Begin to be more conscious. As you go throughout your week, see how much you don’t use and waste. Recycling can be good, but is a last measure. Reducing and reusing give far more preventative methods.