key words
for reducing waste in our modern world
There are five important Rs to
add to your vocabulary:
Refuse, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Refuse (but only as a last resort).
By learning to use the five Rs
in the correct order we can all reduce the amount of waste that
we generate.
1. REFUSE
- Refuse to purchase over-packaged goods, tell shop managers why
you will not buy their over-packaged products, write to product
manufacturers to complain about the waste of resources in their
over-packaged goods.
2. REDUCE
- Reduce the amount of packaging you buy. Select suppliers who provide
goods without packaging. Do you really need to buy this new product,
can you buy it second hand to reduce the energy used in making a
new item? Reduce the number of things you buy that can not be re-used
or recycled.
3. RE-USE
- Once you have bought something and it has served its useful life,
can it be re-used as something else? Can you think of new uses for
things you would otherwise recycle or throw away? Try going through
the bin in your classroom or at home and asking yourself if you
can find a new use for the items found there. Should they be in
the bin or could they be recycled or composted?
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Rubbish tip |
4. RECYCLE
- If you can not find a new use for an item then ask yourself if
it can be recycled rather than thrown away. Many modern materials
can now be recycled to reduce the extraction of raw materials and
the energy wasted in manufacturing.
5. REFUSE
- If you have gone through all the other Rs; refused to buy over-packaged
goods, reduced your use of these goods, found no other way to re-use
the item once it has served its life, found no way to recycle or
compost the item or its constituent parts then you can add the item
to the refuse pile (rubbish). Bear in mind that this item will be
buried in a deep hole.
Ask yourself each time you throw
something away - did I really need to buy this in the first place?
If it can't be re-used or recycled perhaps you should refuse to
buy it in the first place! Refuse to add things to the refuse!
Exercise:
Add the correct "R" word
to these pictures
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Farm Waste Poster |
Waste minimisation |
Saving roof water |
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Children
from Blisland School recycled waste plastic and straw on a
farm to make scarecrows |
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Rubbish
dumped by river |
Draw a poster to teach people
about the "Five Rs"
in the home, at work or at school.
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