Precycle first
In all areas of life there are cycles and this is no different when it comes to the cycles of the products we purchase. The first cycle to be considered when purchasing products is precycle, which is the art of smart shopping. Precycling is the practice of not bringing items into your home that create waste. Examples of precycling would be to always bring your own bags when shopping, buying in bulk using your own reusable containers, buying concentrated products such as detergent (better yet making your own), buying products only in easily recyclable packaging when completely necessary so you know that you can recycle the packaging at your local recycling facility. You are generally safe in this regard by purchasing your products in glass, aluminum, steel and plastics #1 and 2. Let the managers at the stores you frequent know what your packaging preferences are and patronize businesses that offer recyclable and recycled content products. Choose reuse first and when you no longer need something share it with someone else or donate to a thrift store. Be creative and find another use for what you once thought of as trash. Repair things don’t throw them out. By finding and using repair shops you help the local economy and bolster a business that is unfortunately becoming harder and harder to find in this age of obsolescence and disposability. Buy items that are durable and long wearing. These may initially cost more but last much longer than the plethora of cheap items that are increasingly available. Teach your children the concept of precycling so that they are prepared from the start to save valuable resources and develop an appreciation for sustainability. Carry a precycling kit with you that should include your own take out container and mug or thermos, a reusable water bottle, cloth napkin or handkerchief, silverware and a cloth bag. By having these simple items available at all times you will avoid unnecessary waste.
Recycling comes next after precycling. The items you are left with after you have reduced and reused should be those that you know can be recycled. Recycling requires energy and although far less so than manufacturing from scratch it still uses energy to melt or pulp and remanufacture. Recycling most definitely is the next important step in keeping materials out of the landfill where the greenhouse gases that are emitted are 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The more materials that can be recycled at this point in the cycle the better. When buying products keep in mind their recyclability and try to buy products packaged in glass, aluminum and steel which just keeping going round and round in the closed loop. When purchasing plastics aim for number one and two as these plastics are being increasingly used in manufacturing food packaging and are more likely to be accepted in the majority of recycling programs. Other plastics are more difficult to recycle so choose your products wisely.
There are two other cycles that the products you purchase can go through and these are upcycling and downcycling. Upcycling is the process that converts materials into new products that are of better quality than the original and are better for the environment. Upcycling unlike recycling does not involve the breaking down of materials it is the act of remaking something. Examples of upcycling might be turning an old door into a new dining room table, taking a used wine bottle and slumping it into a decorative cheese board, taking a wire hanger and making it into the base structure for a wreath that you can use again and again. It is giving life to an item that would have been discarded or recycled. On the other end of that is downcycling. This cycle occurs most often with plastics especially those other than number 1 and 2. These plastics often are used for single use items and are mixed with multiple resins which lower their recyclability further. Examples of this would be using plastic to make toys, plastic lumber and speed bumps. These items are harder to recycle due to the combining of plastics and other additives. Unlike number 1 and 2 plastics it is much more difficult to find a truly sustainable market for these downcycled materials. While downcycling does reduce the value of the products that are made by combining and weakening them it is a better alternative in terms of reducing energy and carbon dioxide emissions versus producing these aforementioned products from scratch using raw materials.
We all must look carefully at each of the parts of the cycle. Start and practice precycling first as the most effective way to reduce and reuse. When recycling buy products that can hopefully be upcycled but at the very least recycled once again into the same type of product. In the end in the case of most plastics other than 1 and 2 these items will be downcycled and will eventually end up in the landfill after going around one last time. Use your purchasing power to affect the change you want to see. As we always say your habits as a consumer can change the world one person at a time creating a better environment for us all.