Practicing the 3 R's at school, work or home

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We can significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by practicing the "3 Rs" of waste reduction—reduce, reuse, and recycle. EPA estimates that simply increasing our national recycling rate from its current level of 30 percent to 35 percent would reduce GHG emissions by 10 million metric tons a year. That amount is equal to the average annual emissions from the electricity used by roughly 4.6 million households.

 

 

  Recycle unwanted papers and reuse your old folders and binders. Paper that had only one side written on it can be reused; you can cut it up and re-staple it to make a notebook.

 

   Buy smart! Buy used goods from resale shops.  Or purchase and use a wide assortment of supplies made from recycled products, such as pencils made from old blue jeans; binders made from old shipping boxes. Many types of recycled paper products contain a percentage of Post-Consumer Waste (PCW). You can also reuse items like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, and scrap paper for notes.

 

   If you bring your lunch to school or work, package it in reusable containers instead of disposable ones, and carry them in a reusable plastic or cloth bag, or lunch box. Bring drinks in a thermos or water bottle instead of disposable bottles or cartons.

 

  If you buy lunch, take and use only what you need: one napkin, one ketchup packet, one salt packet, one pepper packet, one set of flatware. Remember to recycle your cans and bottles, and separate your waste if your school or work has separation bins!

 

Souce: http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/index.htm