The three R's
Reduce, Re-use and Recycle
You may have heard of the 3 R’s of waste reduction, but incase you’ve forgotten, here are some reminders with some top-tips to get you started!
 Reducing what we have by buying less in the first place means we’ve then got less to throw away later! This is better than both re-using AND recycling! Why not try some of the following;
1. Buy LESS stuff!
2. Buy better quality things that don’t break and need replacing. When you’ve
finished with them, sell them on or give them away. Try www.freecycle.org.uk
to help with this. If you can’t afford ’quality’…
3. Buy second-hand or ask for things from www.freecycle.org.uk
4. Avoid anything and everything with ’disposable’ on the packet, whether disposable nappies, razors, plates or cameras.
 Re-use, just like in the good old days! Pass things on and don’t be too proud to re-use things yourself (see 2. and 3. above). You could also try;
1. Repairing; furniture, toys, bicycles etc can often be mended or restored,
becoming beautiful, safe or usable again.
2. Re-use plastic cartons for food or drinks rather than buying throw-away food
and drink ‘on the go’. It will save you a fortune too!
3. Be creative; if you are a parent, don’t buy new paper or card for craft
activities but use cereal packets, egg boxes and partially-used paper. If
you’re a gardener, use plastic food trays for sowing seeds in or for collecting
produce. Plastic bottles make great cloches too!
 Recycle: If you really HAD to buy something and it really can’t be re-used either by you or by someone else, then recycle it. If that something isn’t currently collected by the council, don’t just give up on it, but try;
1. www.recyclenow.com for the ’what and ’where’ of local recycling
2. Composting, or take your excess ’greens’ to where this can be done
3. Buying recycled products, to ensure that there is a market for all that stuff
being saved from landfill!
Melissa Schofield-Linnell
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