3 R's - Change Your Waste Management Philosophy Now!
Most of the activities, which we humans involve, generate an inevitable by-product - Waste. The rapidly growing economy and the growth in the heterogeneity of industries, along with our evolving lifestyle, have broadened the amount and complexity of the waste generated. Proper Disposal and management of waste are equally important for a clean sustainable environment and the community's overall health standards.
Waste management refers to the activities and procedures that must be followed to handle waste from its point of origin to its final disposal. It includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process.
To prevent as much waste from ending up in landfills as possible, and as a part of waste minimization strategies, it is important to follow what our experts termed as Waste Hierarchy. It refers to "3R's"- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
The concept of "Reduce" is simple – create less waste. It is the easiest and best method, through which we can stop the issue of waste at its source. Less waste means, there is less waste to clean up. Now the question is, how do we "Reduce"? Reducing the number of goods and products, one consumes and refraining from impulsive buying, is the elementary step in this. Another method is to buy products with fewer packaging materials. Since most of the packing materials are plastic, we will be sparing Earth from Plastic wastes. Unplugging electronic appliances and repairing faulty pieces of equipment and machines, is another way to reduce consumption.
As implied by the term, "Reuse" means, using the item, multiple times, before replacing them. For example, we can carry water in a refillable water bottle, instead of buying a new bottle of water every time. We can use old cloth materials for cleaning purposes instead of buying them. Buying reusable items over disposable ones is a welcome method. If you are going to buy a new electronic gadget and your old one is still in working condition, instead of simply dumping it, you can always donate it to needy ones.
Recycle means, rather than discarding a commodity, it is recycled or repurposed. Recycling can minimize the use of fresh raw materials by preventing the disposal of potentially useful materials. Think about whether you can recycle a material fully or partially, before throwing it out, and separate it from other wastes. Many kinds of glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires, textiles, batteries, and electronics, can be recycled. Composting is a form of recycling. Buying recycled products-which is as good as any new product – is a way to support Recycling.
The term "3 R's" has become synonymous with waste reduction. By reducing, reusing, and recycling, we help in reducing the amount of waste that gets dumped in landfill sites. Furthermore, by finding an alternative use for the items we already have, a lot of our resources will be conserved. These are, by far the simplest and easiest way, one can reduce his/her impact on the environment, and saving the mother earth for the future generation.