Sustainability is the ‘avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance’. This is nigh impossible in the industrial world humans have created. Change needs to happen on a global scale to combat consumerism and our toxic waste, but not just by governments and producers – we also need to change our habits and thinking at home. We have the power to collectively make a big difference by buying less, reducing waste, and contributing to a more balanced Earth.

While technically there aren’t any ‘R’s in ‘sustainability’, the steps towards sustainable living have many. You may have heard of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, but a closer look at sustainable habits reveals many more R’s to incorporate into your lifestyle. In a rough order of priority, they are:

1. Rethink
2. Refuse
3. Reduce
4. Repair
5. Reuse
6. Regift
7. Repurpose
8. Recycle

1 Rethink

Do you really need to make this purchase? Can something you already have make do instead? Rethinking is about breaking habits and thinking outside the box instead. This includes making ethical choices with your purchasing as well. For example:

• Do you need to buy plastic containers when reused glass jars will do the trick?
• Do you need to buy presents for birthdays or Christmas, or would an experience be more memorable?
• Do you need to buy new books? Perhaps check out the range in your charity store instead, or buy second-hand online?
• Can you buy the items you need at a market or small store to support local businesses?
• Is there a plastic-free outlet you can order from instead?
• Can you borrow that tool/appliance from a friend instead if it is only for the short term?

2 Refuse

Refuse is about eliminating single-use plastics and other systemic but pointless consumables. Step away from the cycle! It also includes refusing unethical products, harmful chemicals, and refusing to support companies that act unethically. This is about using your power as a consumer to influence industry. For example:

• Refuse to use single-use plastic knives and forks at the cafe.
• Refuse the plastic straw at the pub.
• Choose the vegetable that is not covered in plastic.
• Choose options that are palm-oil free, Fairtrade, organic or free range, certified sustainable seafood, etc.
• Avoid expensive and chemical-laden cleaners by finding effective DIY alternatives such as using white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and lemon, amongst other natural cleaners.
• Avoid brands that have been proven to ignore harmful ingredients or practices in their production.
• Refuse polyester and opt for organic fibres in your clothing and linens to avoid more micro-plastics entering the water system.

3 Reduce

In this world, we’re programmed to buy buy buy! But that creates waste waste waste! Reduce your waste by reducing your needful purchases, or investing in options that will last longer or create less waste. Reduce also includes reducing electricity use, water use and transportation. It has the added benefit of saving you money – waste not, want not! For example:

• Opt for the electronic subscription to magazines or newspapers.
• Try and use up the stash of makeup or toiletry products you already have before buying more.
• Find ways to eat up vegetables or food products that are on the turn, rather than discarding.
• Reduce the amount of single-use products you buy by investing in re-usable products such as silicone baggies, moon cups and handkerchiefs.
• Share lifts to work, the gym or the shops. Walk, bike or use other transportation where possible.
• Use the eco-mode on washing machines and dishwashers. Conserve water in the shower and when flushing.
• In some cases, bulk-buying can reduce waste per purchase/serve.
• Borrow tools/equipment from a friend rather than buy new.

4 Repair (and take care)

Some of the things we throw out could work just as well again with a little time and some DIY YouTube videos. Why not repair rather than throw it out? Who knows, you may develop a new hobby! You could even offer your repairing talents to others in return for something you need. In addition, there are some easy ways to take care of the things you do have so that they last longer. For example:

• Darn those socks and wear them for longer. No one will see!
• Is there a hole in your handbag? Look up some creative DIY solutions for a cute repair.
• Rusty pan or kitchen tools? There are easy DIY methods to make them as good as new.
• Read the care labels on clothing and products and actually follow it.
• Clean your oven, toaster, and microwave on occasion. Defrost your fridge and freezer routinely too.

5 Reuse

There are so many things around your house can also be reused for the same purpose they were made for. Keep and reuse rather than discarding! Note that reusing something for a purpose it was not designed for is ‘repurposing’, discussed below. Examples of reuse are:

• Washing and reusing glass jars and bottles in your pantry.
• Bread bags, or any intact bags for that matter, can also serve as lunch bags or bin liners.
• Bacon grease from you pan or baking tray can be scraped into a jar and saved for later cooking.
• Resealable bags for nuts, powders or flours in your pantry can be washed and reused for other food storage.
• Old cleaning cloths can be used in place of paper towels – just sanitise and wash to reuse.
• Reuse empty hotel toiletry bottles for your own travel toiletries or for cooking essentials when camping or travelling.

6 Regift

Do you have items at home that you haven’t used or don’t use any more? Why not gift them as presents, organise a clothes swap with friends, donate them to charity or sell them on? The best thing is that this system is mutually beneficial, as you can find second hand items as well! For example:

• Scarves that are no longer your style can be used to wrap presents.
• Does that shirt not quite fit you right? Maybe you can offer it to someone it would fit better.
• Linens that are still in good condition but no longer suit your decor can be donated to charity.
• Furniture you no longer need can be given away or sold on Facebook Marketplace or similar.
• Plants, books, excess crockery, pots and pans, lights, toys, DvDs, games and all sorts of things can also be easily regifted.

7 Repurpose

Repurposing is similar to reusing, but for a different purpose than the item or material was originally used. This takes a little bit more out-of-the-box thinking. For example:

• Donate your food scraps to a local garden centre or a friend for composting, or compost yourself!
• Re-grow your vegetable scraps into a vegetable garden. Spring onions, celery and lettuce work well, re-grown on a window sill.
• Packaging paper from parcels or old magazine pages can be repurposed as gift wrapping.
• Plastic containers can be used for crafts.
• Egg cartons for growing seeds.
• Toilet rolls for DIY decorations.
• Turn old t-shirts into tote bags.
• Use soft plastics in ecobricks to build modular furniture.
• Light bulbs with a broken filament as Christmas baubles.

8 Recycle

Only if something cannot be reused, repaired, regifted or repurposed should it be recycled. Recycling is not a perfect solution, particularly for plastic, and hence should be considered a last option. Recycling converts materials into other products by physical or chemical processes, but different materials require different amounts of energy. It is not a cyclical system and still produces waste. There is also little transparency about where the materials go and what they really end up as. But if you do get to this stage, there are a number of ways to recycle, for example:

• Curb-side recycling organised by your council. Check out their website for a full list of what can and cannot be recycled. Typical items are plastic bottles, tin cans, glass and paper.
• Other recycling centres will recycle additional items such as electronic goods, polystyrene and hard-to-recycle plastics, batteries, paint and oil.
• Terracycle collects specific types of materials at specific locations (and sometimes only specific brands) which are then recycled in special factories.
• Some schemes collect bottles or cans for a monetary reward.

What examples do you have of acting sustainably? How do you plan to introduce some more of these ‘R’s into your lifestyle?

References

Some other reading for more R’s you can use at home and further afield:

• The 7 R’s of Sustainability by AeromatiCo
• The 10 R’s of Sustainability by Earth Month
• The Fabulous 14 R’s of Sustainability by Cool Davis
• 6R’s explained by STEM Learning with resources