Reduce, Reuse & Recycle: What Do These Terms Mean?

Everyone knows the basic terms Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. What do these terms mean?

Reducing means to eliminate as much waste as possible. Examples of reducing are over packaged products, disposable or single use items, things that break easily or need to be replaced often, things that you will never use or only use a few times. Changing your personal habits is the key to reducing.

Reusing a product minimizes waste and maximizes the use of resources.If we

do these two things we can't help but get more for our money. Reusing a product has many positive benefits.

• Reuse keeps goods and materials out of the waste stream.
• Reuse reduces the strain on valuable resources such as fuel, forests, and water supplies, and helps safeguard wildlife habitats.
• Reuse creates less air and water pollution than making a new item.
• Reuse results in less hazardous waste.
• Reuse results saves money in purchases & disposal costs.
• Reuse creates an affordable supply of goods that are often of excellent quality.
• Reuse has the benefit of bringing resources to people and businesses that otherwise may not be able to obtain them.

One good example of this is Freecycle. There are Freecycle groups all across the United States. Members of Freecycle give away no longer needed items to others who have a use for them. This process helps eliminate waste.

The most basic definition of recycling is to take an old or used item that would have been thrown away and make it into a new product. Recycling prevents the emission of greenhouse gases and water pollutants. Recycling saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry, help create jobs and stimulates the development of greener technologies. Recycling conserves resources for our children's future and helps to reduce the need for new landfills. (1)