Do you know why they are in that order? Because reducing and reusing are more efficient than recycling. If you can figure out a way to not use something at all (reduce) it is better than reusing it or recycling it. Same with reuse (use that plastic that your olives came in to store your leftover falafel), and as a last resort you recycle it.

In this way you manage the waste stream from the highest efficiency down. Reduce overall production of waste, reuse what you can’t reduce, and then recycle what is left (in my perfect world there would be no “throw away” option). We have done a fair job in this country of stressing recycling. While this is great, it is not perfect. Americans seem to be alright with the idea of throwing their “trash” into a different waste bin marked recycling. That is not really a change of habit, just a lesson in aim. What is really hard to do is the reduce and reuse part. That requires an actual change of habit, buying less of something, pressuring a company to change its packaging, or figuring out crafty ways to reusing things. I would love to see another wave of public service announcements promoting reducing and reusing.

This can mean composting, it can mean building products that are designed to be reused or recycled, it could mean building products that will last for years and years without needing to be replaced. Or it can mean this.

I love these guys, they are always coming up with great ideas. Next time I move I am going to make all my furniture out of cardboard and see how it works.

What are your ideas/experiences with reducing and reusing? Have you figured out how to build everything you own out of old dryer lint? Have you managed to reduce your plastic intake to near nothing? Let us know!