Reduce, reuse, and recycle—the “three R’s” of solid waste management—are listed in order of importance for actions that should be taken to manage solid waste. So why isn’t recycling the first step? Advertisers, educators, and government officials constantly urge us to recycle, so we have assumed it’s our civic duty. We gather up our recyclables, set them on the curb, and feel satisfied that we have done our part for the environment. It is important to recycle, but we must remember that recycling is the third choice. We should consider reducing and reusing before recycling.

The first “R,” reduce, means eliminating or decreasing the amount of waste we produce or reducing the toxicity of the materials. Redesigning products to reduce waste and make them more durable, eliminating excessive packaging, avoiding disposable products, and decreasing consumption are all great ways to reduce solid waste.

The second “R,” reuse, means taking products that would otherwise be discarded and using them again in their current form, or with few repairs or changes. People often mistakenly say they are recycling something when they are actually reusing it.

The third “R,” recycling, involves collecting used materials, processing them mechanically and chemically, and remanufacturing them into new products. These activities consume energy, water, and other resources, and cause pollution. Although the resource use and pollution associated with recycling is far less than that created by manufacturing with virgin materials, it is greater than simply reusing an item. Read more about the advantages of the three R’s

Take action to reduce, reuse, and recycle at this weekend’s Earth Day Festival on the Ithaca Commons from 12 to 5 p.m. Bring your clean clothing donations to the Clothing Swap & Mend Circle, and learn all about using your food scraps with CCE Tompkins’ Master Composters. There will be many more family-friendly activities to help you find ways to protect our earth and communities.

Thanks to those who helped support the Clothing Swap & Mend Circle with their clothing donations and expertise:
15 STEPS
Finger Lakes ReUse
Ithaca College Eco Reps Team
Thrifty Shopper
Soil Factory
Mama Goose

For more information about the 2025 Earth Day Festival, visit: https://energy.ccetompkins.org/earthday/For updates on the 2025 Earth Day Festival, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/

Hope to see you there!