The 3 R's

There is a lot of talk these days about the importance of recycling.  Don't get me wrong, Recycling is important.  But the other 2 R's, Reduce & Reuse, are even more important.  In fact, the 3 R's are listed in order of importance, Reduce being the most important, Reuse being the second most important, and Recycling the third most important.  The ultimate goal of the 3 R's is to keep stuff out of landfills which are filling up at astronomical rates.  When landfills are full they are capped off and new landfills are dug to accommodate the tremendous amount of trash that we produce as Americans.  Following is a simple breakdown of what these terms mean and why they are listed in the order that they are.  This is how I explain it to the kids, changing the language based on their age/developmental level:

1. Reduce:This simply means to buy and use less stuff.  If you don't buy it or use it then there is nothing to reuse or recycle.  Remember that the act of recycling requires the use of energy.  Reducing is energy-free and has no impact on the environment whatsoever.
   
2. Reuse:  The stuff you do need to buy and use, use it over and over again.  Many people often comment on my work by saying how great it is that I am recycling objects as musical instruments.  The truth of the matter is that I am reusing objects that once had another purpose, not recycling them.  Gas cans, pots and pans, garage door springs, 55-gallon plastic barrels, pickle buckets, PVC pipe, drainage tubes, bundt pans, tin cups and the many other items I've used to create musical instruments are not being recycled by the kids and adults who play them; they are being reused.  This too keeps things out of the landfills.  Remember, that is our ultimate goal!
   
3. Recycle:  This is the last resort.  If an item cannot be reused then we should do our best to recycle it.  Unfortunately, not all items can be recycled (such as number 4,5 & 6 plastics, in most communities), but much can be.  Recycling is the act of grinding up the plastic bottles, shredding paper, melting down metals, etc.  New products are then made from the ground up, shredded and melted down materials. Some of these products are quite creative such as fleece jackets, vests and pants made from recycled bottles.  I have shopping bags made from recycled plastic bottles.  When go grocery shopping I am able to reuse these bags that are made from recycled plastic and thus reduce the amount of plastic bags that get thrown away or the amount of trees that get cut down (in the case of paper bags).  So you can see how the 3 R's are all related to each other, but the most important one is not recycle.  It's reduce!