Zero Waste
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to minimise waste
Waste Minimisation
Every day we buy items and products: a notepad or pencil, a can of drink or a bag of potato chips, a new computer or a washing machine. Every step of the way - from raw materials to manufacturing to the consumer - involves waste. But waste does not have to be wasted. By recycling, reusing and especially reducing the amount of waste we make, we can make a difference by:
Using less of the world's precious resources
Reducing pollution by having less waste to get rid of
Using less energy as fewer new things have to be made
The way we handle waste is crucial to our capacity to live sustainably. Reducing environmental stress means not only reducing the waste we generate, but also changing the way we think about our use of resources.
The Three R's
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is an easy guide to cut down on rubbish. Using the '3 R's' saves you money, reduces the amount of rubbish sent to landfill, and also lowers carbon emissions.
Reduce: not creating rubbish in the first place e.g. buying in bulk to minimise unnecessary packaging.
Reuse: using an item more than once e.g. reusing an ice-cream containers as storage devices.
Recycle: breaking down the item into raw materials which are used to make new items e.g. plastic bottles can be recycled into new plastic bottles as well as buckets, furniture and fabric.
We should aim to cut the amount of waste we produce, then recycle and reuse any items that are left over.
What more can I do?
There are many simple things you can do to reduce rubbish at home, at work or at school:
Δ Become a savvy shopper
Δ Recycle all that you can
Δ Compost your garden and kitchen scraps
All the Southland Region's Mayors' recycle
