It’s common knowledge the biggest problem the earth faces today is the
constant destruction of its environment. It’s been happening for
years, but the realization of just how much this situation effects
each person is just starting to sink in. Now, most people are doing
what they can to help their environment at every opportunity, but
there are just a few easy things that, if remembered, can do more than
all the “green” products in the world. The three R’s (reduce, reuse,
and recycle) are simple things that any one person can do that make a
big difference.

The first R, reduce, is often misunderstood. Many think that it means
they must stop using what they have and be strict about every single
thing they use. However, that isn’t the case. Reducing only means to
cut back, to use a little less than what you did before. In our
society today, humans as a whole use way too much. People have a hard
time with not using as much, because society constantly tells us that
what’s new is always better. But if a person can do that, reuse what
they can, then the world will be that much better off. There’s not
enough room on the planet for all the extra things that people think
they need, so even a slight reduction is an enormous help.

Reuse is another great way to make a difference. There are so many
things people have in their homes, and almost every one of those
things could serve a different purpose. Even things you’d never
consider can be used again or in a new way, like food scraps into
compost. Companies try to get you to buy “green” products, but the
truth is, you’re still buying something extra you don’t need. Just
because it’s made with less energy, doesn’t make it good for the
environment because it still takes a lot of resources to manufacture
each of the products. So essentially, buying nothing is better than
buying “green” when it’s so easy to make do with what you have.

Recycling, the last of the three R’s, is the one that has caught on
the most. It is the easiest to do, since almost everyone has a recycle
bin in their house. It doesn’t take much effort to put a bottle into a
wastebasket, which is probably why it has been the most popular. But
recycling is more complicated than most people realize because the
waste management has very specific rules on what can and can’t be
recycled. So by trying to recycle garbage, you’re making it so the
actual recycle mixed in can’t be reused and turns to garbage as well.
Knowing what’s recyclable and hat isn’t is very important. Walking the
extra thirty feet to the recycle bin isn’t hard, so recycle!

Reducing, reusing, and recycling greatly benefit the environment, and
you as well. It reduces landfills by an immense amount, and also the
amount of energy used to make products if less are being made. In
addition, it a lot more cost effective to live by these rules so it
can save you a lot of money. You don’t have to join a huge
organization or donate tons of money to save the earth. It can be done
by just adjusting what you use, and changing your perspective.