Last week, the editorial team of Colombia's El Pais newspaper published a very interesting article that we would like to share on our blog. With the attractive title “The ‘Four Rs’ Essential for Protecting the Environment and Saving the Planet”, the article aims to raise awareness of the importance of taking care when treating household waste. In Colombia, rubbish is disposed of in coloured bags (white, black and green) according to its contents.
The 4R rule was first presented in Japan in 2004 by then Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro during the G8 summit. Over the years it has evolved and added new actions (today the rule has 7 Rs).
The expert in circular economy, Carlos Tulio Fernández, shares four actions with which each of us, from home, can move from being a generator of the problem to being part of the solution.
To mitigate the impact of the environment generated on households, the proposal is to apply the 4Rs rule: Reject, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Reject:
As responsible consumers we can choose not to consume some products that are manufactured from raw materials that are not renewable or cannot be reused, so as not to destroy the resources of the planet. This category includes plastic bags, when they can be replaced by cloth or cambre bags. The same applies to disposable glasses, or plastic straws, which are single-use.
Reduce:
For a better use of the water you can take showers of shorter duration. Do not open the water tap while brushing your teeth or use a sanitary glass with the lowest water level. You can also reduce energy consumption using LED light bulbs and by renovating white-line appliances by models that consume less energy and less water.
Reuse:
Prefer items at home that can be reused many times, such as cardboard boxes, thermos for water, and avoid disposable cups and cutlery. Use glass glasses and metal cutlery that can be used over and over again. It also applies for parties.
Recycle:
All electrical and electronic equipment we have at home, such as batteries, batteries, cell phones, printers, chargers, among others, can be recycled and used to produce new products. They can be taken to warehouses of chains and supermarkets where ecological points have been located with special places for electronic waste.
“Let us educate our children so that we all adopt the habit of recycling. Let’s remember what our grandparents told us: education begins at home.”
