[ad_1]
Security seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. How to save energy, money, resources, and most importantly, save the planet (which we currently have the only one). Going Green is definitely a trend and the term “reduce, reuse, recycle” is still used by environmentally friendly crowds. Recently, a fourth “R” has appeared, joining the ranks of planet-saving efforts. . In this article, we’ll discuss what these four “Rs” mean and simple ways to practice them at home, in the car, and even at your workplace.
Reduce
Reduction refers to a reduction in the amount of energy used and the amount of waste generated. There are some simple ways to do this that don’t cause much inconvenience to the average person. Being aware of the packaging of the items you are purchasing is one easy way to reduce consumption. Avoid products with packaging layers when possible, and buy reusable products and their refills whenever possible. Plan your meals ahead of time and avoid wasting spoiled food waiting for you to cook it. Store or freeze leftovers for another day. Consider signing up for a service that will reduce, if not eliminate, the amount of junk e-mail you receive (it’s good for you and the planet). You can find such services by typing “junk e-mail” on Google. Also, avoid buying magazines and newspapers that waste thousands of trees each year. Receive news online or on TV. Finally, connect all your appliances and electronics to power strips that you can easily turn off at night and when you’re not using them to avoid ‘phantom drainage’ of electricity. Not only will you reduce your energy consumption, you will also reduce your energy bill.
Reuse
There are many products that can be reused rather than thrown away. Unfortunately, most of us grew up in a disposable society and don’t think about throwing products away when we feel they’ve served their purpose. For example, if you currently buy separate liquid hand soap dispensers for each sink in your home, you can purchase one large bottle of hand soap and refill the smaller containers multiple times. Donating is another way to reuse items. You are giving something that is no longer useful to someone who can use it without having to buy a new one and use up all the resources that are needed to create a new consumer product. Reuse the back of the pages for the printer by flipping them over and reprinting them (just make sure they aren’t being used for homework, teachers find this annoying). If you garden or want to, you can use your old vegetable and fruit waste for composting. In this way, shredded paper, coffee grounds, egg shells and brown leaves can also be reused. The resulting organic compost is like gold to gardeners, so even if you don’t want to use it, you will likely find a budding gardener to buy it from you.
Recycling
Recycling is similar to reusing because the same item is reused. However, in the case of recycling, the object is broken down into a more basic substance and transformed into something completely different. For example, a stack of plastic soda bottles can be turned into a children’s sandbox. It’s important to know your community’s recycling policies as every place is different. For example, on plastic products, you should find a number surrounded by the recycling logo (it looks like a triangle with arrows). Some plastics with a certain number are more difficult (and more expensive) to recycle, so many communities only accept numbers that are easier to recycle. You should be able to find out about local regulations on your city’s website or by calling your local city hall. Besides plastics, which can be tricky, you can usually recycle any metal cans, any glass containers, juice and milk cartons (including cans and glass jars), newspapers, magazines, any printed paper and food boxes (like the ones that go into the pasta).
Change of destiny
New to the recycling scene, repurposing is my favorite conservation step. I love the idea of ??finding a new way to use something old. For example, my daughter and I made people out of shells by painting some old quahog shells (large clams) and hot-gluing a few bulging raffia eyes and hair. Similarly, we use old mismatched socks for hand puppets. I used an old dry sink that was falling apart for a makeshift garden center and an old hose for a home irrigation system for my garden. Currently, I weave strips of plastic bags into pads that are easy to keep clean and rather attractive to the greenery at heart. As you can see, there are endless ways of looking at old things with new eyes.
[ad_2]
Source by Jennifer Carpenter