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The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Although we think of recycling as a relatively new idea, it's actually been around for a long time. Recycling has been a part of human life since pre-Industrial times in Europe, when scrap metals such as bronze were melted down and reused many times. Great Britain instituted a paper-recycling program in the 1920s, and during World War II, the governments of many countries encouraged citizens to both recycle and donate items for others to reuse.

However, the recycling conservation movement that most of us are familiar with is the one that began in the 1970s, when the concept to reduce, reuse and recycle gained widespread popularity. The movement came about as people became more concerned about the use of the world's resources, the impact of humans on the environment and the need to reduce the amount of waste products.

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Conservation?
The benefits of reducing, reusing and recycling are numerous. Here are just a few:

• Reducing consumption of resources means that the resources we have will last longer.
• By reusing items, we buy less and throw less into landfills.
• By recycling various items, we reduce the need to make more of the same items, therefore saving both energy and conserving resources.

Reducing, reusing and recycling are all ways for us to minimize our impact on the environment and to consume less of the planet's limited resources.

Tips On How To Reduce
It is important for us to reduce our consumption of the planet's resources. If everyone did one thing every day to reduce their consumption of energy, water and other resources, it would make a big impact on the environment. Here are some ways you can reduce your consumption:

• Buy products in the largest size you can and with the least excessive packaging.
• Carpool or use public transit to go to work.
• Dry your clothes on a clothesline.
• Install sprinklers that are water-efficient.
• Purchase energy-saving appliances.
• Shop by phone, over the Internet or via mail to avoid driving to multiple stores.
• Telecommute instead of driving to work.
• Use a programmable thermostat.
• Replace light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.
• Replace your showerhead with a low-flow one.

Tips On How To Reuse
Finding both simple and innovative ways to reuse the items you already have is a great way to conserve resources. Here are some little changes that everyone can easily incorporate into their lives:

• Buy products that allow you to reuse the packaging.
• Buy products that are made of either entirely or partially recycled materials.
• Reuse your plastic bags that you get at the supermarket.
• Reuse your plastic water bottles.
• Use a real camera or digital camera instead of the disposable ones.
• Use cloth diapers instead of disposable ones, or use a diaper service.
• Use glass or ceramic plates and cups as well as actual silverware and cloth napkins instead of disposable products.
• Use rechargeable batteries.

Tips On How to Recycle
Because the various recycling techniques require energy, recycling is actually the third choice for conservation. Proponents of a green world suggest that we should reduce and reuse before we recycle items. However, this does not mean that recycling is not good for the environment. There are many ways you can add recycling to your lifestyle. Here are just a few items you can recycle:

• Aluminum is one of the top items you can recycle. It can be reused an infinite number of times, and the process used to recycle aluminum produces only 5% of the carbon dioxide of new aluminum production.
• Glass is another great item to recycle. It can also be used an infinite number of times.
• Plastic is another item that you should recycle. Plastic bottles, plastic bags and other plastic items often have a number printed on the bottom to tell you what type of plastic recycling bin you should put it in.
• Used motor oil, hazardous household waste and old cell phones and computers should also be recycled.
• You can recycle paper. Many items are made either in part or whole from recycled paper. Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely, however, because paper fibers eventually break down.

Methods For Recycling
There are usually two methods for recycling in the U.S. The first method is a curbside pickup. In this method, people leave their recyclables in specific containers for a recycling vehicle to collect. Many communities have this option. If curbside pickup isn't available, most communities will offer recycling centers, where people can drop off recyclable materials.