about the Waste hierarchy. In our opinion, Reuse is the most underdeveloped bar in this whole scheme. Sure, you re-use shopping bags, but what about all that stuff in your garage that isn’t really trash yet. That is the problem Kashless.org is solving. Have a read. Earlier this year they also did a primer on REUSE specifically.
highlights:
- According to the U.S. EPA, in 2006, Americans generated about 251 million tons of trash. That’s about 4.6 pounds per person, every day. Of this 251 million, 82 million tons of it was recycled. This recycling saved “the energy equivalent of more than 10 billion gallons of gasoline.”
Reuse
Reuse is simply the act of finding a second (or third, or tenth or hundredth) use for a product to prolong its life. Reuse is an important step after you’ve already reduced, but before you are ready to recycle.
Most of us reuse everyday without realizing it. Any time you buy or sell a product secondhand, such as from Craigslist, eBay or Goodwill, you are providing an additional use for this product, while at the same time, not requiring another one to be created.
To really get in the habit of reusing, focus on:
- Reusable shopping bags
- Lunch boxes and Tupperware containers
- Buying in bulk
- Borrowing from others instead of purchasing
- Rethinking your “trash” – you may be able to make something new out of that old desk
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