When you think about recycling, it usually brings to mind recycling bins… maybe some cans and bottles. But, another important aspect of recycling is reducing and reusing. Think about it. If you don’t need it, don’t get it. And if you have to get something, consider how you’ll be able to get the most out of it.
For instance, did you know that the average cell phone is discarded after 18 months of use? This means thousands of tons of cell phones are discarded into the trash each year. By throwing working phones in the trash, we waste the energy and resources that it took to make them, and release harmful materials into the environment.
You can reduce the amount of cell phone waste generated in your community by keeping your phone until it no longer works, take good care of your phone so it lasts, charge your battery according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to prolong battery life. When it’s time to get a new phone, you can pass it along to a family member or donating it to a cell phone recycling program in your community. And that’s just phones!
Think about all the things you have in your home that you can do without, or that can be reused. It might seem like a small thing, but imagine the impact if everyone in your home or community took the same stance.
Resources
