Strengthen the Chain, Reuse and Reduce

By: Joiya Reid

Through the constant concentration on recycling, it seems that a lot of consumers have forgotten the two other R’s in the recycling chain: reducing and reusing. 

According to the NRDC, the average American produces about 4.5 pounds of waste per day. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that 268 million tons of waste were produced by Americans, and only 67 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) were recycled. Moreover, 27 million tons of MSW were composted. An additional 34 million tons of MSW were combusted with energy recovery. That leaves 139 million tons of MSW, or 52.1% of MSW, that was sent to landfills. That’s over half the amount of waste being sent to a giant, land dumpster. 

According to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), Georgia had 108 operating landfills in 2018. Of that 108, two landfills were filled in 2018, and six others were closed in 2019. One of those six was closed on Dec. 4, one-day prior to this column being posted. 

As of October 2018, 309 landfills were closed in the state of Georgia. That is a significant amount of giant, land dumpsters in one state, and at the rate Americans are accumulating waste, there are only more to come. 

Consumers are making headway in being environmentally conscientious and managing their waste. In fact, according to the EPA, between 1960 and 2017, the rates at which consumers recycled grew tremendously from less than 100 million tons of MSW being recycled to over 250 million tons, but is that enough? 

The types of MSW generated in 2017 showed that paper and paperboard accounted for 25% of MSW. Food came in second place with 15.2% and plastics came in third with 13.2%, and these are easily preventable waste. In the EPA’s Waste Management Hierarchy, source reduction and reuse are the most preferred methods for waste management while recycling and composting come in second. 

So, while it is a great thing that consumers are focusing on recycling, it seems like we’re missing the most important step in waste management: reduction and reuse, two of the three R’s in the recycling chain. There are numerous opportunities for consumers to reduce and reuse. There’s even a trend dedicated to reusing: Do-It-Yourself, or DIY. If you aren’t in the habit of reusing through DIY, try reducing your waste by cutting down on your plastic usage when grocery shopping, or using smaller, snack-size Tupperware for your midday snacks. 

The alternatives are endless, and we don’t have to look too hard to find them. The results would be worth it.