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Most people have heard the phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle.”
But many might not realize it’s not just a catchy phrase; it’s written in the order you ought to do things.
When you try to lessen your environmental impact, the first thing you should do is try to reduce your consumption.
Some ways you could reduce your consumption are using less water by turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth or using a bicycle to get around town.
Reuse comes next in the list. I like to think of this one as “reuse/repurpose.” Reusing doesn’t always mean you have to reuse something for the same purpose it was intended for. The Internet has tons of great ideas for repurposing what might otherwise become trash.
For example, if you have lots of old maps, you can turn them into a basket by following the instructions posted at tinyurl.com/ybaj6v3.
Or, after you are done reading the newspaper, why don’t you try to make some gift bags out of it? Just use the instructions available by visiting tinyurl.com/2dy4alv.
Recycle is listed last, but it’s still an important step. If everybody recycled everything they could, then new resources wouldn’t have to be used as much to make things that could be made from recycled materials.
Some examples of recyclable materials are plastics labeled with recycling numbers “1” and “2.”
These recyclable plastics can be found all over your home, some in places you probably didn’t know about. Before you throw out any plastic, check the bottom or other sides for the recycle triangle with the number in the middle.
Some examples of less-well-known recyclables include bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, laundry detergent, body spray and lotion. Of course, the ones people typically think of — like soda bottles, milk jugs and metal cans — are also recyclable.
Every little bit helps the environment, so keep up the little things you are doing because they add up to a big difference.
Amanda’s Animal Fact of the Week
The gray fox, also known as the tree fox, is the only member of the dog family that can climb trees.
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Amanda Wheeler is a Danville resident who has worked as an educator at the Cincinnati Zoo. She is currently working toward her master's in zoology.