According to the text, examples of the opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle include:

The Three Rs saves money and energy and reduces landfill.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – these three 'R' words are an important part of sustainable living, as they help to cut down on the amount of waste we have to throw away.

It's Really simple!

1. Reduce the amount of waste you produce.
2. Reuse items as much as you can before replacing them.
3. Recycle items wherever possible.

Using the 3 'R's also helps to minimise the amount of space needed for landfill sites, where waste materials are disposed of.

Water is a precious resource. How can you use less of it?

The first 'R' is all about creating less waste. Here are some of the ways you can do this:

1. Only buy what you need
2. Choose products with less packaging
3. Buy in bulk
4. Look for items that you can re-use

Reducing the amount of waste we all generate is a great way to benefit the environment.

Recycling old items helps to reduce waste sent to landfill.

The second 'R' looks at how you can use certain items again (ideally multiple times) before replacing them. Here are some ideas:

• Refill a water bottle with water from home instead of buying a new one
• Update your computer rather than throwing it out and getting a replacement
• Ditch plastic bags and choose reusable, environmentally-friendly bags instead

A bonus of reusing? As well as helping the environment, you could save money too!

The third 'R' is about making sure you separate items that can be recycled, meaning they can be used for a new purpose.

Materials that can be recycled include:

Glass

Cardboard

Aluminium

Lead batteries

Before you throw something away, think about whether all or part of it could be recycled.

For example, did you know the components of your old computer can be recycled to make new components?

Sometimes, two more 'R's can be added to the three basic ones.

• Rethink can be added to the start of the list. It means we should think about the way our actions impact the environment.
• Recover is sometimes added to the end of the list. It refers to the act of putting waste products to use. For example, decomposing garbage produces methane gas, which can be recovered and burnt to produce energy.

Recycling uses old products in new ways.

Reduce means to minimise the amount of waste we create.

Reuse refers to using items more than once.

Recycle means putting a product to a new use instead of throwing it away.

Rethink is about considering how our actions affect the environment.

Recover refers to the practice of putting waste products to use.

Landfill is a site where waste materials are disposed of.

On average, every person in Australia generates more than 2000kg of rubbish each a year!

The energy saved by recycling one plastic drink bottle is enough to power a computer for 25 minutes.

For every tonne of paper that is recycled, 13 trees are saved.

Artists recycle to create something new from something old.

The 3 'R's – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – are all about minimising the amount of waste we produce, reusing products as much as we can, and remembering to recycle any materials that can be used for a new purpose.

According to the 5 R's, four actions should be taken, if possible, prior to 'recycling': refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and then recycle. Incorporating this methodology into your business' waste reduction and recycling efforts will minimize landfill waste and help take your recycling program to the next level. In this post, we explain each of the 5 R's and the benefits of putting them into practice at your business.

How To Apply The 5 R's

Applying the 5 R's to your business' waste management and recycling strategies can positively impact the outcome of your program by significantly reducing the amount of waste your business generates. In the 5 R's hierarchy, remember to treat recycling as a last resort after attempting to refuse, reduce, reuse, or repurpose. Before disposing of your waste, walk through each of these steps in the following order:

STEP ONE: REFUSe

Refuse: the first element of the 5 R's hierarchy. Learning to refuse waste can take some practice, but incorporating this step into your business' strategy is the most effective way to minimize waste. Talk to your procurement team about refusing to buy wasteful or non-recyclable products. When working with vendors, refuse unnecessary product packaging and request reusable or returnable containers. Making smarter purchasing decisions and setting standards and expectations early in the process makes it easier for organizations to “refuse” waste in the first place.

STEP TWO: REDUCE

Reduce the use of harmful, wasteful, and non-recyclable products. Reducing dependency on these kinds of products results in less waste materials ending up in landfill and the associated negative environmental impacts. We recommend always using the minimum amount required to avoid unnecessary waste. For example, when printing a document, print double-sided to cut your waste output in half. Other commonly used items businesses can focus on reducing include single-use plastics, plastic packaging, organic waste, and Styrofoam cups.

STEP THREE: REUSE

Single-use plastics have created a "throw-away" culture by normalizing consumer behavior of using materials once and then throwing them away. The rate at which we consume plastics has become unimaginable, and the plastic crisis has become one of the world's greatest environmental challenges. In an effort to reduce waste, reuse items throughout the workplace instead of buying new ones. Begin by focusing on one area of your business at a time, like the break room. Replace all of the single-use eating utensils, Styrofoam cups, water bottles, and paper plates with compostable or reusable alternatives. Once you master one area, prioritize reuse for other products in your facility like packaging peanuts, printer cartridges, cardboard boxes, food containers, and rechargeable batteries.

STEP FOUR: REPURPOSE

For every item that can't be refused, reduced, or reused, try repurposing it. Many people in the green community refer to this method as upcycling. You may be surprised to learn how many common office products serve more than one purpose. Sometimes it requires using some creativity, but the possibilities are endless. Try using wasted printer paper for scrap paper, cardboard boxes for storing supplies, binder clips to hold power cords and chargers in place, and even mason jars, coffee mugs, and tin cans for holding pens and pencils. Designate an area of your office as an Upcycle Station for collecting and storing supplies. Encourage your colleagues to add items to the station they no longer need and to check there before purchasing new supplies. We'd love to hear what products your business repurposes!

sTEP FIVE: RECYCLE

Last but definitely not least: recycle. Once you've gone through all of the other R's, recycling is the most environmentally friendly waste disposal method. If your business doesn't already, start collecting cardboard, mixed paper products, commingled materials (plastics, aluminum, glass) and organics. Most companies we speak with are surprised by the amount of waste they reduce by establishing an effective recycling program. Click here for a round-up of the best resources we've created for launching a successful recycling program.

Closing The Loop

Which of the 5 R's could your business focus on improving? Think about your current waste and recycling strategies and then come back here and let us know what you think! Or ask your coworkers which of the R's they want to focus on improving individually. Some of the answers may surprise you. Let us know in the comments, or if you're interested in learning how RoadRunner can help your business recycle more, set up a time to talk with one of our representatives today.