Let’s Talk About the Three ‘R’s
We’re all used to hearing about the three ‘R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Whilst these are very important guides to follow, we can extend them to Repair, Refill and Repurpose!
Let’s get back to basics:
REDUCE – if we can avoid buying new things, we will reduce our carbon footprint. Everything that’s manufactured involves using resources - no matter what material it’s made from. Transport will also be involved, sometimes from overseas, as well as more packaging. So let’s try to use what we have, rather than buying new things that we don’t necessarily need.
REUSE – when you buy anything, think about the uses you can get from it. Are you reusing plastic food packaging to take your lunch to work or to put things in the freezer? At St Stephen’s we’re encouraging you to bring reusable cups and bottles to church so that we can reduce the amount of paper cups we get through.
RECYCLE – we’re all used to using kerbside recycling for glass, plastic, paper, and metal. We are also fortunate to have a food waste collection too. But what about the harder to recycle goods? Richmond Council have put together a useful list of what can be recycled locally including electrical goods. If you’re still stuck, you can use Recycle Now's Recycling Locator.
Let’s have a look at what else we can do:
REPAIR – no doubt you have watched the Repair Shop and seen much loved articles being restored. But more basic things can be repaired too. Why not visit the monthly Repair Café in St Margaret’s or the twice monthly Tony’s Repair Shop in Hampton?
REFILL – we have two zero waste shops where you can take your own jars/plastic containers to refill with groceries and cleaning materials. The Refill Larder in Teddington and the Source in Richmond has a wide range of items that you can buy in exactly the quantity you need. Both offer a click and collect scheme.
REPURPOSE – never liked that gift you received from Aunt Mary? Or does an item in need of a revamp? Have you tried upcycling? Follow this link for ideas of what can be made from household items, to give them a new lease of life. Alternatively, donate your item to a charity shop or post it on the local Freecycle site. Clothes can be sold via online services and other sites such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay which take all goods.