Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce - you should look to reduce the consumption of an item. This simply means consume less, it doesn't have to mean consume none.

Reuse - if you cannot reduce consumption then look to reuse the item. Giving an item a second life helps reduce the demand for new products requiring valuable resources.

Recycle - think about how you can recycle the item, so the raw materials can be used again.

Now lets use the humble plastic bag as an example for Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.

Reduce

Lets say you go grocery shopping once a week and you are given 5 plastic bags by the over zealous checkout operator. You can reduce your consumption by asking for one less bag as usually you can always fit a few extra items into the others. Better still take reuseable bags and say no to plastic bags all together. Now for a little math to bring this all together.
There are approx. 5 million families in Australia and if each reduce their consumption of plastic bags by 1 each week, that's a whooping 260 million bags a year. Just imagine the numbers if we didn't use any at all...

Reuse

For those who can't bare to requlish the convience of using plastic bags, it's not too late to help the environment in the smallest of ways. Reuse those plastic bags and at least give the bag a second role. Using the plastic bags as bin liners is better for the environment than committing them directly to waste. Why buy additional plastic bin liners when you already have the solution at hand? Or maybe you just take them back to the shops and reuse them again.

Recycle

Last stop before the plastic bag becomes landfill, are you onboard? If you can't reduce or reuse then think about recycling. Fortunately, the larger Supermarket chains are prepared to collect used plastic bags on your behalf and have made a commitment to recycle them. If they don't have a recycling bin then ask them directly, only then they get the recycling message. Some smaller supermarket chains are also doing there bit by supplying biodegradable plastic bags which take less time to decompose as landfill.
Ask you local supermarket what they are doing about this growing problem.

This is a very simplistic view of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and I believe in small managable steps everyone can make a difference. Challenge yourself each and every day to do a little something extra.