Embrace the Five Rs

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to readers each week.

The dirty little secret of recycling is that the majority of items we toss in our blue bins end up in landfill. The EPA reports that less than 10% of plastics are ever recycled; in 2018, the total recycling rate for all materials was 32%.

Other solutions, like burning plastics or the touted “waste-to-energy” incinerators, release large amounts of toxic chemicals, including mercury and lead.

So rather than feeling virtuous about dropping plastics in our blue bins, consider adopting a lifestyle that shows you care about clean air, clean water and the broader environment. Reimagine your consumption by embracing the five Rs:

REFUSE: Shift away from single-use plastics, starting in your bathroom: Switch to shampoo and conditioner bars, paper container floss, glass jar toothpaste, and glass jar or bar soap. Then move onto the kitchen.

REDUCE: Buy less stuff. It may take some getting used to, but before you shop, imagine where the product comes from, imagine the materials and energy that went into creating it, and where it will end up when you’re done using it. Then decide if you really need it. Remember, green is the new black.

RE-USE: Put anything and everything to full use. Buy quality, repair products and donate instead of landfilling.

ROT: Compost food and kitchen scraps. The breakdown of organic material in our country’s landfills is the third-largest source of climate-changing methane gas. Visit lacompost.org to learn how to compost or consider compostablela.com, a service providing households with a container for composting and weekly pickups.

RECYCLE: Because recycling is far from 100%, it’s the last step (not the only step). Be sure to follow blue bin guidelines so that you’re not polluting or breaking the sorting machines by throwing in the wrong items, such as plastic bags, clothing, card stock or hazardous waste.