On the Way to Zero Waste: The 5 Rs

I recently had the privilege of talking about the 5 Rs of waste management at my workplace.  Our company, like many other companies, is interested in achieving “zero waste”  as it represents cost savings and shows the company is  a responsible corporate citizen.  I wanted to share the key points raised during this presentation as they are of interest for anyone who wants to embrace a zero waste-ish lifestyle.  When I first learned about waste management, there were only three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  Since that time, it has expanded to the five 5 Rs.  What are the 5 Rs? Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot (Compost).   Please keep in mind that there is an order to the Rs.  The first R should be done the most and the last R should be done the least.

Refuse:  This is the most important R as it means refusing to consume.  Ultimately it is about not taking or buying things that we do not need.  I think the first step in the zero waste-ish lifestyle is to carefully assess material goods we accept into lives.   This covers anything that is disposable (single use items such as plastic water bottles, disposable utensils, straws) as well as anything that is “free”.  Free?  Why would free things be bad?  Typically free things tend to be poorly made and hence are more likely to end up in the garbage.  Refusing also means not consuming without reason or purpose.  Our consumer driven society pushes us to buy, with the idea that this will make us happy.  We need to question this.

Reduce:  Reduce our consumption of material goods, reduce the packaging that we buy, reduce .   We need to consume less, buy less.  How many oven mitts and mixers do we need in our kitchens?   How many pairs of shoes do we really need?  There are 7 days in a week.  As a shopaholic, I know that I was caught up in the consumption frenzy, keeping the idea that shopping was going to make me happy, special or better.  It didn’t.  That being said, if we do consume, our best option is to buy quality items that will last longer to avoid them going to waste.

Reuse:  Reuse what we already own.  Using our creativity, we can find new uses for old items that we no longer need or find ways to use things that we already own to address new needs that we have.  An old t-shirt?  It can be resewn into a shopping bag.  A glass jar?  Instead of recycling it, it can be used to store pens or makeup brushes or bulk food.  Reusing allows us to prolong the life of items that we have.  Reusing also means repairing something that is broken.   Sometimes, we don’t need to get rid of something, we just need to find a way something.  Our throwaway society is focused on what is shiny and new but we cannot continue with our wasteful usage of our world’s resources.

Recycle:   When I tell people about my zero waste project, the initial response that I often get is “I recycle everything.”.  While recycling is good to do, it is far down the list in terms of the 5 Rs.  We should aim to refuse, reduce and reuse before we recycle.  Recycling allows a material to find a new life, but it requires energy and often times the material is “down-cycled”.  This means that it is transformed into a lesser quality material.  It is important to keep in mind a few things.  Metals, paper and cardboard are readily recycled.  In some places, glass can also be readily recycled but this is not true everywhere.    In the Montreal area, glass is not being recycled and is actually going to landfill in many cases.  We need to take political action to avoid this from taking place. Plastics can also be recycled, but these are mostly down-cycled.  It is important to look at the numbers on the bottom of the container.  Numbers 1 to 5 can be recycled.    Number 6 (polystyrene) is the one that for the most part cannot be recycled.  The purchase of this type of packaging (styrofoam coffee cups, takeout containers) should be avoided.

Rot (Compost):  Rot or composting is the last R.  It is the last possible use of a material.    Many cities now offer composting for its citizens.  Composting on your own can be done but it requires some effort.  It reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill dramatically as almost half of our waste is food scraps that can be composted.  Egg shells, coffee grinds, fruit and vegetable scraps, hair, cotton fabric, bamboo, paper towels (if you use them instead of a reusable cloth) and even tissues (if you use them instead of a reusable option) can be composted.   Afterwards, you will be rewarded with rich compost that can be used in your garden to grow vegetables or fruit.  This is a wonderful circle of use.

Everything left goes in the garbage.  Hopefully that is very little!

Challenge for the Week:  Is there one of the 5 Rs that you are not doing?  Can you give it a try for a week to see how it works for you?