We’ve all heard of the 3R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle. They were taught in elementary science classes, put on banners for various milk jug and soda can tab collection drives, and generally emphasized throughout the 90’s. I feel like all three branches of the 3R’s were equally highlighted in my childhood, unlike environmental movements today.
Recycling has stolen the spotlight these days. Reducing and reusing have been pushed to the side – out of sight, out of mind. Economically, it makes sense for companies to focus on recycling. Consumers buy a product, use it, then get rid of it via recycling, which then gets made into another product for sale and so on and so forth. An endless loop of consumption and production. You can find shoes made from recycled plastic bottles, bikes made from recycled cans, yoga mats made from recycled wetsuits, toys made from recycled milk jugs, or skateboards made from recycled fishing nets for a few examples; the options are endless with a quick internet search. But in all this recycling, the true reason for it has gotten lost. We’re not helping the planet with endless consumption, even if we slap a “recycled” label on the process it took to make the products. Energy is still being used, waste is still being made, and resources are still being depleted with every new iteration of product.
Reusing is the ultimate form of recycling, a fact that has been left out of every recycling advertisement I’ve ever seen. Taking an item and using it a second time, and then a third, and then a fourth, et cetera et cetera, is recycling without the wasteful reprocessing steps. Everything non-consumable that you could possibly need can be found second hand. Most of our family’s wardrobes and household goods are second hand, including our furniture, books, toys, bedding, and even some appliances. Heck, my wedding dress was a thrift score and I’m proud of it. Thrift stores, online marketplaces, yard sales, and community swaps are all great places to practice reusing – want to try it out? Come to the next Pahrump Mother’s Corner Community Swap – flyer below. You don’t need to bring anything to participate, but if you have goods you’d like to pass on bring them!
Reducing is the best thing you can do. I’ve already written past articles on minimalism and the ways it’s helped me and my family. If you haven’t read them, go take a peek. Since becoming minimalist, the number of items we bring into our home has drastically decreased. What I haven’t written about yet is how hard it can be to go counter-culture. If you can stomach it, trying a no-buy week, month, or season (or year!) is a great place to start.
Disclaimer/Reality Check: I used to be a huge zero-waster, and that has had to change as life’s priorities shift. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s everyone does what they can, and aiming for just a bit better every day.This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Sometimes it’ll be a step-by-step for getting out of the house on time with little kids and other times it’ll be ramblings on why none of my best laid plans work. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
