THE 3 GREEN R'S: REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The ecological 3 Rs or the rule of the three Rs, is a set of strategies to address the control of the generation and management of waste. These strategies include waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

The ecological 3 R strategy aims to contribute to solving the serious problem of environmental pollution by humans. The phenomenon of consumerism drives an increasing rate of use and disposal of objects and materials, generating huge amounts of waste.

The 3 ecological Rs. Source: Catherine Weetman

In the case of electronic devices, humanity produces around 50 million discarded devices. This means polluting the environment with hundreds of different substances, from heavy metals to plastics.

The growing population of cities generates increasing amounts of wastewater laden with chemicals and organic matter. Humanity produces an average of 2 billion tons of garbage annually, of which at least 8 million end up in the oceans.

In this context, solving the problem of waste generated and reducing the consumption of raw materials is crucial. For this, environmental organizations such as Greenpeace promote the ecological 3 Rs, a strategy that is part of sustainable development and the circular economy.

Reduce

The first of the strategies that make up the 3 Rs is to reduce waste, for which it is essential to develop more efficient production processes. It is about applying systems reengineering criteria in order to guarantee generating the least amount of waste.

This considering each phase of the process of production, distribution, marketing and consumption of the products.

Reduction of consumption of goods

This strategy deserves a conscious consumer who frames his consumption to the satisfaction of real needs with environmental criteria. It addresses the neutralization of consumerism as a tendency to satisfy superfluous needs or those created by the effects of fashion.

Reduction of energy consumption

This aspect addresses one of the points of greatest environmental impact, such as the consumption of fossil fuels and the waste of energy. This includes from actions such as reducing the use of private cars, prioritizing public transport, to reducing the use of coal as an energy source.

Similarly, saving electrical energy leads to a reduction in its use by avoiding keeping lights on unnecessarily.

Reduction of waste generation

Another aspect of the reduction strategy is the reduction in the generation of waste or waste. This implies the application of more efficient technologies, which make the most of raw materials and reduce emissions (gases, wastewater, garbage).

A very relevant example today is the reduction of greenhouse gases, which in turn cause global warming. The serious environmental imbalance that this generates has even led the international community to sign agreements to guarantee said reduction.

Plans to reduce greenhouse gases. Source: Madrid newspaper

Such is the case of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. As well as the Kyoto Protocol, which addresses the reduction of six greenhouse gases.

Re-use

In most cases it is feasible to give more than one use cycle to an object, be it for the original purpose or another. In this sense, reuse makes it possible to avoid that said object ends up being part of the waste that pollutes the environment.

Computer keyboard used as a germinator. Source: wetwebwork

In addition, by covering a need, it prevents it from being covered with a new object, which would imply a greater consumption of raw materials.

Returnable containers and reusable bags

An example of reuse of the return type for another cycle of use with the same purpose is returnable glass bottles. In the same way, the use of cloth bags to transport purchases instead of disposable plastic bags.

Plastic bottles

In another sense, reuse can be applied by using an object for a second cycle of use but with a different purpose than the initial one. For example, plastic bottles that are a serious environmental problem and are being reused as construction elements.

With plastic bottles roofs are built for grow houses thanks to its transparency to sunlight and impermeability. Lifeboats and lifeguards are even built out of plastic soda bottles.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are perhaps the modern paradigm of consumerism, as they are high-tech objects and are replaced at a high rate. By 2007 it is estimated that there were already 2.5 billion mobile phones in use in the world and the replacement rate was less than 18 months.

Fortunately, there is a booming market for cell phones that are repowered for reuse. In general, there are more mobile phones destined for reuse than those that are recycled.

Recycle

The third of the 3 ecological Rs is recycling, which consists of reintroducing waste materials into the production process. These materials can be processed and used to produce new objects similar to the source of the material or a different product.

Symbol of recycling, one of the pillars of the 3 R. Source: Krdan

Almost any material can be processed to incorporate it back into the production process. From the recycling of plastic or glass to that of complex electronic devices such as mobile phones.

- Water recycling

One of the most serious problems facing humanity is the deficit of drinking water. It is enough to consider that less than 1% of the water on the planet is available for drinking. On the other hand, human beings contaminate these water sources, affecting the possibilities of use.

These sewage or waste waters have different categories and therefore must be subjected to different recycling processes. There are domestic, industrial and agricultural sewage, each with its specific pollutants.

Sewage recycling. Source:

In turn, industrial wastewater varies according to the type of industry. In the case of domestic sewage it is also important to distinguish between black water and gray water.

Domestic sewage

It is the water from the toilet drain, which has a high content of organic matter, as well as bacteria and other microorganisms. Due to this, they are subjected to specific recycling processes aimed at neutralizing biological components, eliminating organic matter and other suspended solids.

Domestic gray water

These are the waters from those household activities that do not involve a large contribution of organic matter. Such is the case of the water used for washing clothes, kitchen utensils and cleaning floors and other infrastructures.

In this case, there are even domestic recycling systems that allow the immediate use of these waters. They can be used to drain the toilet or to water the garden.

Taking into account that its recycling for irrigation must consider the type of product used for cleaning processes, especially detergents.

- Plastic recycling

Some of the types of plastic can be recycled to be used in the manufacture of other products. This recycling can range from complex processes in the petrochemical industry to simpler procedures.

Plastic recycling. Source: Celinebj

Among the latter is the grinding of plastic bottles to use the resulting pellet as an additive in the manufacture of building blocks. This allows saving concrete while obtaining lighter and stronger blocks. Also plastic strips can be extracted from plastic bottles for the manufacture of brooms.

- Recycling of paper and cardboard

The paper and cardboard industry is another important source of pollutants, so recycling paper and cardboard is essential. In most cases, paper and cardboard products are easily recyclable.

In addition, for every ton recycled there are more than 900 kilos of CO2 that are no longer emitted into the atmosphere. In the same way, the saving of water is considerable, given the intensive use that this industry makes of this element.

- Glass recycling

It is another of the materials commonly subjected to recycling processes, based on a correct classification from its disposal by the consumer. The recycling of glass represents a saving of raw materials and energy, especially due to the low melting point of the calcine compared to the original raw materials.

Calcine is the material obtained from recycling glass, while virgin glass is made from silica sand, limestone, and sodium carbonate. On the other hand, glass is a material that can be subjected to multiple recycling cycles without losing its fundamental properties.

- Recycling of mobile phones

A mobile phone is a complex device whose manufacture involves more than 20 different metals, as well as plastic and other materials. The recycling of these devices allows the recovery of significant quantities of these raw materials, including gold and silver. On the other hand, their inadequate disposal introduces these and other highly polluting heavy metals into the environment.

- Recycling of organic matter

Composting is a procedure that allows recycling of organic waste to be used as fertilizer. For this, remains of food or crops are recycled, subjecting them to a biological oxidation reducing them to simpler compounds assimilated by plants.

The fertilizer obtained has the advantage of being organic and therefore less polluting than chemical fertilizers.

A fourth R

Today a fourth R is proposed in the strategy: Reject, which refers to avoiding consuming products that affect the environment. An example is the rejection of plastic shopping bags, due to their high negative impact on the environment.

Likewise, the refusal to substitute products that are still useful by the mere dictation of fashion (induced obsolescence), for example a dress.

It is even proposed to add to the strategy the requirement of Durability, in terms of using materials that allow a longer useful life to the product. This is directed against planned obsolescence.

References

1. Cui J and Zhang L (2008). Metallurgical recovery of metals from electronic waste: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials.
2. Geyer, R. and Doctori Blass, V. (2009). The economics of cell phone reuse and recycling. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
3. Hopewell, J., Dvorak, R. and Kosior, E. (2009). Plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
4. Lara-González, JD (2008). Reduce reuse recycle. Elements: Science and culture. Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla.
5. Morales-Payán, JV (2011). Guide The 3Rs. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Miscellaneous Series. Santo Domingo Dominican Republic. CEDAF.