Trim Ref: M08/8811Page 1 of 3Date last revised: April 2009

City of NedlandsEnergy Efficiency Information Sheet

This information sheet contains details and tips on the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Recycling is important, but trends demonstrate that even as Australia has been increasing its recycling, it has also been increasing its waste to landfill, as well as associated wastes such as transportation and packaging. With a little thought, we can throw out less rubbish overall, through reducing the waste we produce, reusing what we have, and recycling what is left.

BENEFITS OF WASTE REDUCTION

  • conservation of resources, such as energy, petroleum, habitats, and minerals.
  • conservation of money; reduction of waste saves money on disposal, and reduces the cost of production.
  • reduces environmental impact; by reducing, reusing and recycling, less virgin areas are impacted by mining and deforestation, less emissions are produced, less toxins are released, and less fuel is consumed.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

Do I need it?

Can I borrow it?

Can I repair what I already have?

If I buy it, how long will it last?

REDUCE:

Through reduction and living simply, there is less rubbish to discard later. They key is to avoid waste, so keep an eye out for ways of producing and using goods that stop waste generation. Some simple ways to achieve this are:

  • Making foods at home
  • Purchasing products with minimal packaging to reduce immediately discarded rubbish
  • Purchasing some items in bulk (but don't buy more than you can consume), particularly items that do not deteriorate quickly such as rice, lentils and nuts; and bringing your own bags. Some shops let you bring in your own jars, which they weigh before you fill.
  • Growing your own vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers
  • Avoiding disposables where possible
  • Hiring and sharing items rather than buying, where possible
  • Remembering your reusable bags when shopping
  • Preferencing goods made from recycled products – many products have recycled alternatives, you can by recycled paper, toilet paper, glass and plastic!
  • Buy second-hand where possible
  • Cancel junk mail (and local papers if you never read them)

REUSE:

Reusing involves using something more than once, and can be a great means of saving money and time, reducing disposables going to landfill. There are many options for reuse around the home, office and at school. A quick internet search can reveal many more ideas, but here are a few:

  • Reuse empty glass jars for grains, flour, bulk snacks such as nuts and dried fruit, or homemade jams.
  • Reuse glass juice bottles as water bottles
  • Newspaper can be used to wrap gifts, especially the glossy centre pages
  • Rather than throwing out items you don't need, try offering it to the freecycle network, or your local charity. Check out freecycle.org for more information
  • Carry your lunch in a reusable container, rather than disposable wrap. This is a perfect opportunity to reuse one of those many takeout containers you've picked up along the way!

RECYCLE:

Recycling sees a product returned to the factory to be remade into the same product or to become a component in a new product. This conserves non-renewable resources, and can use much less energy than production from raw materials. Some items that can be recycled include:

  • paper and cardboard
  • aluminum
  • glass bottles and jars
  • plastic milk containers

Before you put items out for recycling, remember to rinse containers, and remove lids and caps. Remember that items covered with food grease (such as the bottoms of pizza boxes) cannot be recycled. These steps are important to remember in order to avoid contamination of recycling – contamination can threaten the viability of the entire truck's load, and the load may be sent to landfill if unsalvageable.

Information on Recycling Services provided by the City of Nedlands can be found in the Recycling Bin information sheet, available on the City of Nedlands website.

Recycling includes composting. More information can be found on the Compost Bin Information Sheet, available on the City of Nedlands website.

FURTHER LINKS:

Zero Waste Campaign:

Buy Recycled Business Alliance

Australian Conservation Foundation:

Living Smart 3R Tips at DPI

meta data: waste minimisation, reduce, reuse, recycle, waste, garbage, rubbish, landfill

Trim Ref: M08/8811Page 1 of 3Date last revised: April 2009