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Natural Life Magazine, March/April 2006 Zero waste is not just about recycling and the 3-Rs. It embraces waste as a resource that creates jobs and new products. Increasingly, more North American cities are taking on the Zero Waste initiative. Many of these efforts are focused on composting, worm bins and promoting recycling by having more depots available and providing residential blue-box services. The 3-Rs of recycling (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) are often mentioned, but the order in which they are implemented is not often discussed. For instance, even before recycling, a plastic peanut butter container can be reused for various storage means – numerous times, possibly indefinitely. There is another, rather unknown fourth “R” to consider: Refuse to buy the brand that has a container that cannot be reused or recycled, or that has unnecessary packaging. In the case of the peanut butter container, it not only serves as a (otherwise costly) storage container, it also stays out of the recycling loop, saving more time and resources that would have gone into reprocessing the plastic. Eventually it might get broken and end up being recycled anyway, but in the meantime, the accumulated savings and benefits are undeniable. Trash Talk – our book and this article – is about implementing the Refuse, Reduce, Reuse tactics first – in that order –before even considering recycling, which is an excellent but costly industry. We encourage the raising of our collective voices to let the appropriate politicians know we want our money re-routed towards Zero Waste. More importantly, we need to start right where we are – at home. By taking matters into our own hands, we can reduce our own household costs, ease the burden that is upon the recycling industry and preserve our resources. Refuse Recognizing the power of the consumer’s voice is the first step to restructuring your shopping habits. When purchasing, avoid disposable over packaged or individually packaged products, especially those that ... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's digital edition. |
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