The terms ‘climate change’ and ‘carbon emission’ have been thrown around the globe for approximately the last two decades. From government houses to street conversations, from global summits to dinner table talk. It is observed by some to be the defining topic for this coming generation, and promises perilous consequences if some action is not taken. Solutions have been offered left and right, one of which is to reduce, reuse and recycle. Today we discuss why it is important for any household to add these three steps to their daily routine.
Lower Carbon Footprint
If there is one term that seems paramount in the discussion of climate change, it would be the phrase ‘carbon footprint’. It has been thrown around numerous times, and yet still remains unclear to many people. Carbon footprint can be defined as the emission per person when daily activities are taken into consideration. So basically, how much carbon does one contribute to the excess in the atmosphere through their daily routine? When this question is considered, then it becomes easier to say that reducing, reusing and recycling can contribute heavily to lowering the carbon footprint of an individual or household. This is not only through waste management, but also, when purchases are less, production is less, which lowers the emission from energy necessary to create these items.
Reduce Spending Costs
Families nowadays are well aware of the repercussions of overspending, yet the average household in this day and age consumes far more than it produces on a daily basis. When items are reduced, reused or recycled in a household, they can effectively cut unnecessary spending. For example if glass jars, or plastic containers are reused, then it reduces the need to purchase additional containers to store items in. Recycling plastic especially can lower production costs for companies etc, and the list goes on. Lower spending costs means money to be repurposed to a more useful area.
Less Waste in the Environment
Where does our garbage go ? This question is not the title of a new Netflix documentary. Instead, it is a question amongst Parliamentary and Senate houses worldwide as countries attempt to combat the problem of waste management effectively. In previous years, waste was shipped out to third world countries to be recycled, or otherwise became a part of the rush of plastic ending up in the oceans. However, as early as 2015, countries have begun rejecting these large shipments of trash, and outcries from climate activists have prompted attempts at ocean clean-ups. Each government is left to battle their own problem, and as Helen Lee Schifter suggests, it becomes a matter of individual responsibility to have waste reduced, reused and recycled in each household. When these practices are implemented at that level, it far reduces the likelihood of improper disposal through state handling.
Overall, these practices help to better improve the quality of the environment, and help us to truly take care of it.
