Now Presenting, in order of importance…The Three Rs of Recycling
By Melissa Nuttal
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| Image Credit: Columbia University Click the pics for some ideas on upcycling and info on each of the three Rs. |
If you are crafty, you may be familiar with the term upcycle.
An item at the end of its intended life of usefulness is “upcycled” into
something else, allowing it to serve a new role and extend its life. A hip new
take on the iconic recycling triangle.
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| Image Credit: Melissa Nuttal Click the pic for some ideas on upcycling and info on each of the three Rs. |
Triangle? Why yes,
like other triangles, this one has three legs representing three concepts: Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle. Sadly, “recycle” gets more than its fair share of attention,
and at great expense.
I have experience with this. Swap the word recyclable with washable (as in machine washable) and voilà: my life.
Some samples of the reasoning I encounter:
-Its ok to use a giant towel, or perhaps a sweatshirt for a
small spill because they are washable.
-Its ok to use a bed pillow for a seat in the yard because
it can go in the laundry.
-Why bother with a cloth napkin when I can use the
tablecloth, they’re both washable.
And my (least) favorite reasoning from my sweet, disarming
tot, usually after she has played in mud and it has followed her from textile
to textile throughout the house.
“Mommy, it’s ok, you can spray it!” If only I shared in her
joy of spraying stain treatment.
These examples sound ridiculous, yes. But, at least for me
they translate easily into my attitude at times. Why bother with reducing or reusing, my actions say, It can be recycled.
Recycling is not without its own costs, just as laundry
requires inputs of time and other resources (water, sanity). Unlike laundry,
which in my house inevitably makes its way to the washer, recyclables don’t
follow their destiny. In fact, according
the EPA, most of the common recyclables: glass, aluminum, plastic are thrown
away instead of recycled and that is the good news. Because the rest end up
in a variety of elsewheres: the bellies of fish, beaches, rivers, parks and
outdoor play places across the world.
Click the inverted triangle graphic for a great guide for how to prioritize the three Rs.
“From most preferred
to least preferred, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," in that order.”
What can you do? Start at the beginning.
Step one, Reduce, is easy, free, saves money and requires no
follow-up step like reuse or recycle.
Voilà, a new greener planet thanks to us.
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