Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Global citizens are beginning to realize that the resources we have will not last forever, that plastics, wood, and chemical elements in all of the things we use at home and at work are costly to manufacture and can’t just be dumped somewhere.   As the economy fluctuates and more and more attention is given to the effects of manufacturing and daily live on climate change, businesses, households, and individuals are changing the way they view their resources and possessions to try to minimize their negative impact on the community they live in, and the world we all inhabit.   So how can we reduce the use of materials like paper, plastic, glass, metal, and all of the other “junk” we cart around every day?  The answers is one step at a time.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal groups have stepped in to try to educate Americans about their current dilemma and ways to reduce pollution and waste.  The EPA estimates that between 1960 and 2006, the average amount of trash per American has nearly doubled from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per day, making it critical to rein in the way we spend and administrate resources. Reduction What the EPA calls “source reduction” is, simply put, using less.  Reduction of materials can be practiced at any level of life and in many creative ways.  The EPA estimates 55 million tons of material were source reduced in the year 2000. How do we work on reducing the amount of what we use in business and in our personal lives?  Many solutions start with collective resources and financial incentives.  Many communities have started re-use and recycling centers to aid in utilizing materials as much as possible. Another way to accomplish our goals in our free market system is by changing from a bulk rate for waste to a unit price.  Communities that have switched, for example, to a per-bag rate for household trash removal have seen waste volume go down considerably.  The same idea applies to corporate use of resources, and with programs like a cap-and-trade emissions program, our factories are producing less greenhouse gases and trying to recycle materials when possible. Recycling and Re-use One of the main ways to practice source reduction is by recycling used materials so that they can be used again.  This idea isn’t new, but new applications can make it more feasible where it was previously considered impossible.  Collection centers that break down electronics or other gear into parts can effectively produce tons of re-usable gear; paper and plastic recycling centers can create mountains of new materials from the ‘junk’ that comes in their doors each day. Again, financial incentives help: as consumers get more ecologically aware, the attraction of “green products” grows, and the market value responds, making it more feasible to recycle and sell materials.  This symbiotic trend can do more for the environment than many grassroots campaigns. Sorting Materials So much of the process of source reduction is reliant on material sorting that well-funded and well administrated collection centers can have a huge positive impact on our ecological bottom line.  From composting (separating organic waste from non-biodegradable waste, e.g. plastic) to sorting bottles and cans, material sorting is a service this country needs badly.  Along with the above programs and financial incentives, good materials sorting programs could move America forward into a greener era for helping curb fossil fuels dependency, imports of foreign goods, and hazardous chemical effects on our world. Take a look at programs in your area and get started giving the earth a hand with simple reduction, recycling and re-use programs.