Editorial
I remember sitting in second grade, when my teacher asked us what the Three R’s are.
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” we chanted.
The Three R’s have been drilled into our heads ever since we were children. We all know that we should take care of the environment. There’s an aspect of this catchy alliteration, however, that is probably lost on most people. There is something magical about the order in which we learned that phrase. Reduce. Reuse. Then recycle.
Reduction should come first. The Environmental Protection Agency Web site says, “Between 1960 and 2008 the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds per day.” Buy products in bulk so there is less packaging. When given the option between two similar products, purchase the one with fewer layers of wrapping and unnecessary plastic. Why does a product need to be shrink wrapped, sandwiched in molded plastic, and then shoved into a box? If everyone consciously purchased products without extraneous packaging, companies would get the hint and rethink their distribution strategies.
Second, reuse. If you buy food that comes in a plastic or glass container, simply wash it out and put it with the rest of your Tupperware. If you purchase new pots and pans, donate the old ones to a secondhand store. Give your old clothes to a younger sibling or a friend. The EPA Web site cites Goodwill and Salvation Army as good sites to donate products. They say there are over 6,000 reuse centers across the country. This also encompasses replacing paper towels with dish rags, or paper napkins with cloth ones, and investing in reusable grocery bags, reusable water bottles, and rechargeable batteries.
Finally, after exhausting the previous two R’s, should you recycle. In Moorhead, you can recycle #1 and #2 plastic bottles and jugs only (no wide mouth containers), clear and colored glass bottles and jars, steel, tin and aluminum cans, newspaper, and corrugated cardboard at your curbside. Additionally, Concordia provides receptacles to recycle office paper.
The actual act of recycling is apparent in the breakdown of the word. At the root is the word “cycle,” which means that something should come back to the beginning.
According to recycledproducts.com, there are myriad things made from recyclables, such as coloring books, greeting cards, paper, pencils, Frisbees, fleece blankets, lanyards, coasters, yo-yos and more. By shopping for recycled products, you can truly complete the cycle that has been started.
