Practical guide to the 3Rs: what are they and how to apply them?

Everyone has heard about the 3Rs, but have you ever stopped to think about the impact this could have on your daily life? The 3Rs policy presents itself as a set of sustainable practices, whose objective is to minimize the environmental impact caused by the waste of materials and products from natural resources and, at the same time, saving nature from the inexhaustible extraction of resources.

This campaign, created by the National Earth Conference (ECO-92) , which was held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, and endorsed by the 5th European Program for Environment and Development - held the following year - emerged to simplify the rules to follow to help the environment and is based on the letter R , for Reduce , Reuse and Recycle . Applied in this same order and popularized by the Greenpeace group, it is a proposal for reflection and action on our consumption habits, which aims to make them, in turn, more responsible, reducing the impact of waste on the environment. But let's explore each of the Rs:

Reduce

As already mentioned, the first and most important step to follow and comply with is to reduce , that is, to slow down, society's consumerist desire , since the greater the volume of purchases of new products, the greater the amount of materials discarded, thus generating more waste. This proposal contradicts the essence of sales and capitalist consumption, but it contributes to reducing energy consumption and the emission of toxic gases. Encouraging responsible consumption is one of the main objectives of this policy, which is reflected in the circular economy, which we discussed in our article "What is the circular economy?" .

Reuse

Secondly comes the step of reusing, that is to say giving a new life to materials no longer used, such as plastic bottles, boxes or anything that can be reused, i.e. , repair or reimagine a product and give it a new use, instead of discarding it.

In this way, by reusing materials and products that could have a second life and function, we are once again contributing to the circular economy, where we consume renewable resources, used to manufacture more and more consumer goods, as we allocate more time to their use, extending their useful life.

Furthermore, by transforming a certain material already used into another, we postpone the need to consume a new one and produce environmental waste and, at the same time, we promote environmental preservation, contributing to the reduction of pollution and soil contamination. This practice helps to reduce the amount of raw materials, energy and water needed to manufacture new products, drastically reducing the disposal of consumer goods and consequent pollution of the environment.

Recycle

Thirdly, but not least, comes the step of recycling, that is, helping to reuse materials, reducing waste and, at the same time, reducing the demand for more natural resources. .

This is just the last step in the 3Rs policy, since, without the previous two steps, there is no system that can handle the entire amount of waste generated. In this way, recycling consists of the processing of materials through their physical or chemical transformation, generally in the form of raw materials, to produce new products and consumer goods.

A product can only be recycled correctly if we sort it, that is, separate our waste in recycling bins, so that it can then be taken care of in a treatment plant. There are several types of recyclable products such as paper, plastic, aluminum, steel, among others.

Therefore, this process requires individual effort, as it consists of recycling waste that is still usable and reintroducing it again as new raw materials.

Having said all this, reducing consumption as much as possible, reusing products that are not used and recycling those that have reached the end of their useful life are necessary practices and which not only help the environment, but also make it possible to reduce the cost of living, reducing expenses, especially in the industrial sector. Consuming consciously and responsibly, that is, not only reducing consumption, but also choosing recyclable products, is fundamental to reducing the production of waste in the environment and waste.

This reduction must encompass both the use of products and the rationing of resources, such as, for example, water or fuel, which, in turn, in addition to having a strong impact on the environment, minimizes damage caused by pollution and accumulation of rubbish. In this way, by having practices such as purchasing only the amount of food that is used and the conscious use of water, we are reducing the amount of waste discarded that pollutes the environment.

By following these fundamental steps, we are contributing to improving our planet and making it more and more beautiful. Individual actions promoted by the 3Rs have a huge impact on the environment and on reducing our ecological footprint, which, in itself, is urgent and a priority. 

The 3Rs policy has already been updated and, currently, we can say that there are four more important steps in protecting the environment, which are rethink, refuse strong>, reintegrate and accountability. All of this is intended to promote a change in habits in our daily lives and guarantee a better future for all of us, to lead us to rethink our values ​​and practices.

In short, the daily application of this practice can help you, not only to preserve the environment, but also to reduce certain day-to-day costs! It is important to keep this idea in mind when we think about consuming or discarding, since the future of the world is also in our hands.