People are making an increasing effort to recycle, reuse items that have another purpose, and reduce our waste. Now the slogan has become embedded in our culture over time. Soon enough, tossing an aluminum can will have you running to the nearest recycling bin. Where did it come from? What is the meaning? How did I unintentionally memorize it? When people hear the three Rs they usually just remember the slogan from their childhood without giving much thought to its origin.
As it turns out though, this catchphrase is the center of a lot of debate about where exactly it came from, with no clear answer being available to this day. According to most sources, Earth Day is to thank for the birth of the three Rs, and in particular, the very first one held in , organized by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. This first Earth Day saw over 20 million Americans come together at events across the country including festivals and fairs, being exposed to a range of issues about the environment and how we can do our part.
Before this event, the use of disposable items in the home was quite common. In the s during the economic boom, a huge surge of household trash was created as people were more likely to stockpile materials so that they could be used during World War II to create weapons and other goods.
When the war was over, people had an obscene amount of trash leftover which was added to landfills across America. The EPA helped to pass the Resource Recovery Act which highlighted the importance of recovering and recycling resources like the ones that were stockpiled for the war and promoted conversation efforts and environmentally friendly practices.
The three Rs were born around the same time as this movement and became a catchy way to help people remember what to do. The first R is reduce, and at its simplest, it means to reduce your everyday use of items and things which lead to waste. Reducing means making a conscious effort to look at how much stuff we use and questioning whether or not we need to be using it. This encompasses all things from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. Food waste is an especially focal point for reduce as most households waste a lot of their fresh produce each week.
This food also uses a lot of pesticides to create and releases the greenhouse gas methane, as well as costings households a lot of money.
The second R is reuse , and this simply means to get another use out of something that you were going to throw out or recycle. Make the switch to reusable straws, dishcloths, and water bottles to lessen the amount of waste you create and save yourself a lot of money in the process. Your kids can turn cereal boxes into toys, you can use glass jars for drinking or as a vase, and you can donate canned goods and old clothing to people who might be in need.
Every year, we blithely discard billions of phones, laptops, TVs, and other electronics that can end up poisoning communities around the world. Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits, including improving soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts. Commune with nature, get productive in the kitchen, occupy cooped-up kids, or connect with other environmentalists—all while staying home.
Environmental reporter Tatiana Schlossberg, author of "Inconspicuous Consumption," says the American staple needs a 21st-century overhaul for the sake of our water, climate, and health. In the United States, we consume more than 15 billion pounds of tissue each year—more than 50 pounds per person. We need to take control of the 10, tons of plastic entering the lakes each year—whether we recycle, reuse, or just outright ban the stuff.
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Instead of searching for another buyer, maybe some soul-searching is in order. By simply using less plastic, you can help keep marine life from eating and getting entangled in garbage. With minimal effort, you can turn those banana peels and apple cores into gold. Let us break it down. A grocery-store gaffe sparks an ethics debate over plastic packaging and the merits of convenience foods.
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