Every day, the City of Pines produces more than a hundred tons of garbage. Every day, it contributes to the pollution that is harming the environment of Baguio City. One way we could help alleviate this problem is to start reducing waste in our very own homes. To do this, Bea Johnson of Zero Waste Home has presented one simple equation, the 5 R’s—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot.
1. Refuse
The first step to reducing waste is to prevent it from even entering your house. Say no to single-use items and short-term use non-necessities. Learn to recognize and start denying waste no matter how small they are.
2. Reduce
The main point of this second step is to assess our consumer habits and how they affect our environment. This means letting go of certain possessions and household items that no longer serve any purpose to free clutter and continuously shopping with a purpose. It all comes down to setting a clear boundary between the things we need and those that we don’t.
3. Reuse
This step simply entails replacing common disposable items with permanent or longer-lasting alternatives. For example, replace your plastic water bottles with refillable glass or steel bottles or swap out your paper towels for washable dishcloths. This step also includes repairing items that could still work instead of buying new things.
4. Recycle
Any waste that you can’t refuse, reduce, and reuse goes to recycling. Despite this being an easy solution to get rid of waste, however, you should still keep in mind to recycle your waste properly. Separate your trash properly and make sure to take stuff like broken appliances to the right places instead of simply dumping them out for the landfills.
5. Rot
Now that your non-biodegradable waste has been taken care of, it’s time to handle the biodegradable waste through composting. If you have a compost pit or something like that at home, great. But, if you don’t, there are tons of other ways to practice indoor composting like vermicomposting or the Bokashi composting method. Research and find what best works for you.
Baguio City needs all the help it can get to reduce its garbage problem. And through these 5 easy steps to start reducing waste at home, you’re already doing your part to help protect, preserve, and nurture the city’s environment.