The recycling process may sound straightforward – just put your recyclable waste in the right bins. However, there are more steps to it than you may realise, known as the 5 Rs of recycling. You should consider each of the 5 Rs before you throw a product away or send it for recycling.
Refuse– The first step of the 5 Rs is simply no longer purchasing or using products that damage the environment. For example, if you work in the food service industry, you could refuse single-use plastics and opt for more environmentally friendly products instead. This decreases demand for no-recyclable products, allowing better alternatives to replace them.
Reduce – As a business, it’s your responsibility to seek eco-friendly alternatives to products that damage the environment. However, when buying and using such products is unavoidable, try to reduce the amount you purchase and use. Only buy what you need and when you need it.
Reuse – rather than throwing a product away after one use, you should aim to reuse as much as possible. It also encourages you to buy items you can use many times. For example, switch any single-use plastic cups in your office to reusable glasses.
Repurpose – find alternative uses for a product rather than throwing it away. Too often, landfill sites are full of single-use items that could be used a few times before disposal. For example, you can clean and use old food containers for storage.
Recycle – the final step of the 5 Rs process is to send relevant waste products to a recycling plant for a new lease of life. This should be the case for any paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable waste to turn into new materials and avoid them going to landfill.