Reduce, reuse and recycle
It's Recycling Week in Australia! At Okikoki, we are passionate about reducing our single use plastics and the impact they cause on our environment.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, every Australian contributes around two tonnes of waste each year - a mixture of household garbage and industrial waste created by things we buy or use.
How much of what we buy now seems to have planned obsolescence, a pre-determined life span.
According to the Department of Environment and Science, Queensland, we can all do our bit to reduce, reuse and recycle:
Reduce
Avoid waste by looking for ways to produce and use goods that stop waste being generated, try to choose products that can be used productively, recycled locally, and have minimal packaging.
- Buy recycled goods
- Search for better alternatives to buying products that impact the environment
- Choose products with recyclable or reusable packaging
- Carry reusable shopping bags – that’s Okikoki bags😊
- Buy quality goods that will last
- Be water wise
- Monitor your energy use
Re-use
Re-use containers, packaging or waste products. Remember when grandma would reuse the gift wrap? Those of us privileged enough to know children from WW2 and the Depression will see expert re-users in action.
- Donate unwanted clothing, furniture and white goods to charities.
- Enquire if goods can be repaired rather than replaced.
- Hold a garage sale.
- Use rechargeable batteries rather than single-use batteries
- Use glass bottles and jars, plastic bags, aluminum foil and take away food containers over and over again.
- Use reusable containers for lunches.
- Compost kitchen and garden waste.
- Use both sides of the paper.
Recycle
Recycle waste material into usable products, only recycle after trying to reduce and reuse. Recycling has environmental, economic and social advantages.
- Choose recycled goods whenever possible
- Recycling reduces the amount of material dumped in landfill sites
- Better understand just what your local council can recycle
- Recycling conserves natural resources and can prevent environmental pollution