Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Principles

Reducing Waste

• Reusing old items can create new things.
• Find alternate uses for common household items.
• Repurpose used tires for garden furniture or swings.
• Old wood can be used for craft projects or firewood.
• Newspapers can be used for packing when moving.
• Donate unwanted items like books, clothes, and bags.

Recycling and Recycling Programs

• Recycling involves remanufacturing products for resale as new items.
• Paper, glass, plastics, cardboards are common recyclable materials.
• Check with local recycling facilities to see what types of materials they accept.
• Buy recyclable products like paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic.

Benefits of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Helps reduce carbon emissions and prevents water and soil pollution.
• Reduces waste going into the environment.
• Prevents the practice of burning waste, which causes air pollution.
• Promotes sustainable energy consumption by using resources efficiently.
• Supports the development of green technology to reduce climate change impact.
• Increases the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
• Saves energy and resources, improving the economy.

Solid Waste Management

• Includes collecting, treating, and disposing of solid waste, such as municipal garbage and industrial waste.
• Involves source segregation, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal.
• Must follow strict regulations and guidelines to ensure safety and effectiveness.
• Solid waste includes domestic, sanitary, commercial, industrial, agricultural, biomedical, and electronic waste.
• India produces a significant amount of solid waste each year, expected to increase drastically in the coming decades.

Incineration

• Burning waste materials to reduce volume.
• Requires removal of hazardous items like batteries and certain plastics before burning.
• Emits dioxins, furans, lead, and cadmium, which can be harmful to the environment.

Types of Solid Waste Management

• Composting: Recycling organic matter into fertilizer through natural decomposition.
• Recycling: Converting waste material into new materials, like wood, paper, and glass.
• The text highlights the importance of recycling and composting to reduce waste and environmental impact.

Ecolabels

• Ecolabels are symbols on products indicating they meet certain environmental standards.
• They are based on life cycle assessment and cover key environmental and health impacts.
• They are developed through transparent processes, open to the public, with strict criteria.

Types of Ecolabels

• Type I: Voluntary, multi-criteria based, third-party certification for environmental preferability.
• Type II: Informative environmental self-declaration claims by companies.
• Type III: Provide quantified environmental data of a product, verified by a third party.

Ecomark

• Eco Mark is India's ecolabel, certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
• It provides criteria for products and assesses their compliance to the Eco Mark scheme.
• The program aims to promote environmentally friendly products and practices.