Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
1
The average U.S. resident generates more than four pounds of waste a
day. Multiply that by the more than 300 million people in the United States and
you get an awful lot of trash. More than half of this refuse winds up in a landfill,
where it is sealed under a protective barrier. It is unable to break down and
decompose quickly. However, the barriers separating the garbage from the earth
break down over time. Toxic chemicals from the decaying trash can leak into the
ground. These contaminate our water sources. At the same time, toxic gases also
are released. This causes air pollution. Litter also sometimes winds up in our
oceans. Unlike in a landfill, trash is free to float around in the ocean and may be
exposed to sunlight. Yet, things like plastic water bottles still do not decompose
rapidly. So much garbage from around the world has collected in one area of the
Pacific Ocean that this spot has come to be known as the "Great Pacific Garbage
Patch."
2
There are three important things that everyone can do to help with the
worldwide garbage problem: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Practicing the three Rs
creates less waste on our planet. It saves us money, energy, and valuable natural
resources. By reducing, reusing, and recycling, we can make the world safer and
healthier for all.
Reduce
3
Reducing waste means cutting down on the amount of stuff you throw
away. Imagine you are buying yogurt in a grocery store. Do you go for the sixpack of yogurt cups? Or do you buy a large container of yogurt instead? If you are
looking to help the environment, go for the large container. This container uses
less packaging than the six-pack. So, you will be throwing less away. Many
grocery stores now sell things such as rice and peanut butter in bulk. These items
have no packaging at all! If you fill a reusable container, you do not throw
anything away when the food is gone.
4
Thinking carefully about what you buy is a great way to reduce waste.
Sharing household tools that you do not need every day with neighbors is a way
to buy less. Another way to reduce waste is to fix things that are broken instead
of buying new ones. Mending a broken chair, or patching a hole in shirt will stop
these items from going to a landfill.
Reuse
5
Did you know that if you laid out all the plastic and paper forks and other
utensils that are thrown away in the United States each year, this chain of
garbage would circle the planet 300 times? Imagine if everyone stopped using
disposable utensils and used silverware instead—none of this garbage would
exist. Reusing is a great way to help our planet. Replacing disposable coffee cups
with washable mugs, using cloth napkins, and carrying a lunch box instead of
using a paper bag for lunch are simple ways to reuse that can really add up.
6
If you need something that you do not have, try looking at consignment or
thrift stores first. Oftentimes, you can find less expensive items that are just as
good as new. But, because you are buying used, you are keeping “garbage” out of
the landfill. When it is time to get rid of something you no longer need or want,
bring it to a consignment store or donate items to Goodwill or other charitable
organizations that will put them to good use. Or, have a yard sale or
neighborhood swap and find new homes for your usable items. Remember, one
person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
Recycle
7
Let’s go back to the grocery store scenario. Remember the yogurt you
were buying? What if you recycled that large plastic container instead of
throwing it away? This would mean even less waste than before. Recycling is
collecting and processing things that would otherwise become garbage, and
transforming them into something new. Nearly everything that cannot be reused
can be recycled—from paper to plastic bottles and more. Recycled newspapers
might become a phone book, while recycled plastic bottles have been used to
create everything from clothing to construction materials. Recycling a ton of
aluminum cans saves the same amount of energy as 36 barrels of oil or more
than 1,000 gallons of gasoline. Recycling 1 ton of paper products saves the
equivalent of 185 gallons of gasoline. What’s more, recycling a single glass bottle
saves enough energy to run a computer for half an hour. If all cell phones
discarded in a year were recycled, it would save enough energy to power
thousands of homes for the entire year.
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Whether it is a battery, a light bulb, some clothing, or wadded-up plastic
wrap, the next time you go to throw something in the garbage take a minute to
stop and think. Ask yourself: Can this be reused? Can it be recycled? Did I need to
buy this in the first place? Every little thing you do to reduce, reuse, and recycle
means less garbage produced on the planet as a whole.
What are two main themes of this passage?
A) Reduce, reuse, and recycle are three ways to limit waste
production. Everyone can take steps to produce less garbage.
B) People should think about throwing away less garbage.
Garbage is polluting the land and oceans. C) The amount of garbage in the world is creating environmental
problems. Much of the world's garbage can be reduced. D) It is better to reuse items than recycle them. It is best to reduce
usage of disposable items.