Strategies
Materials Efficiency Strategies
The 4 "R"s -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy
Materials efficiency and waste prevention require a cyclical rather than typical linear "extract, use, and dump" approach to manufacturing and utilizing resources. The "4Rs" – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rebuy – provide a simple yet powerful way of envisioning how we must individually and collectively change our material use patterns.
"Reduce," or Source Reduction, is the first and most important step in materials efficiency and waste prevention practices. It is the crux of the matter because it involves actions to eliminate or reduce the amount or toxicity of materials before they enter the municipal solid waste stream. Source Reduction includes the following actions:
• reducing the use of nonrecyclable materials
• replacing disposable materials and products with reusable materials and products
• reducing packaging
• reducing the amount of yard wastes generated
• establishing garbage rate structures with incentives to reduce the amount of wastes that generators produce
• increasing the efficiency of the use of paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastic, and other materials
Individuals also may choose to reduce consumption in their own lives by making a conscious decision to use fewer resources and simplify their consumption patterns.
"Reuse" is the next step in materials efficiency and waste prevention. Effective reuse preserves the present structure of a material or article and does not require additional time or energy for utility. Examples of goods that are effectively and efficiently reused include intact or repairable home appliances, industrial appliances, household goods and furniture, clothing, intact materials in demolition debris, building materials, sinks, business supplies and equipment, and lighting fixtures (Source: "Solid Waste—Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling," Building Sustainable Communities, The Global Cities Project, 1991).
"Recycling" is the third step, which involves converting manufactured articles into raw material for remanufacture. By replacing virgin materials with recycled feedstock, natural resources and energy are preserved. Additionally, recycling contributes to the economy.
"Rebuying," the final step that both ends and begins anew the cyclical 4R process, involves purchasing products that are designed for source reduction and/or constructed from recycled materials. This practice encourages market and technology development for materials and products that conserve resources and prevent waste.
