refuse vs. the other Rs

One time, back in 2018, which seems like a lifetime ago, I attended my first Pechakucha event; and if you don’t know what a Pechakucha is, it is a presentation-style that is worth looking up (actually, I ended up using the Pechakucha style with my middle-school students, and the result was promising). I was hella nervous because it was only my second speaking event, and you never know how environmentalism will be accepted (let’s be real… internationally, environmental activists are murdered for trying to protect our water sources, old-growth forests, etc). The topics varied, and mine was all about plastic-free living.

After the presentation, a smart looking gentleman approached me. Instantly, I felt nervous, thinking, “Oh god, I’m going to have to explain what I stand for.” I had explained the FIVE Rs (“reduce, reuse, recycle” is the bare minimum, man) in my presentation: REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, ROT. He asked, “So, what’s the difference between refuse and reduce?” Since the event was in a local cafe and bookshop, I pointed to a muffin nearby, wrapped in saran wrap. I responded, “Take that muffin over there. Reducing would mean I reduce the amount of plastic-wrapped muffins that I purchase when I’m out. But REFUSING would be me making an intentional choice to NOT buy the muffin at all. Perhaps even telling the owner of the business that I won’t buy it until it’s not wrapped in that.” He huffed and that was the end of the interaction.

Refusing first is the most important thing. We often give into impulse-buys, attractive marketing, and buying in to a lot of advertisements set to convince us that we need a certain product. But, truly, we don’t, unless it’s vital to our existence, and you can’t convince me that most products are vital to our existence. REFUSING products is the #1 thing. Refusing consumerism, refusing the attractive sale, simply refusing. With refusing the product you also refuse the consumerism cycle, and all the packaging that comes with it.

Reducing comes next. Reduce the amount of packaged items that you consume or purchase (wherever and whenever you can). Perhaps you’ve been buying a to-go coffee every day you go to work. Perhaps you can refuse one day, or make your own at home in a reusable mug, or even remember to bring a reusable cup in your car next time you hit the local java joint.

Reusing is the most important step before recycling. Reuse as many things as you can before recycling or “rotting” them. This includes any kind of packaging, like reusing pizza boxes in the garden, or adding them to your compost. Or reusing plastic yogurt tubs to store your frozen berries. I reuse some smaller yogurt tubs to store craft supplies for my kids.

Recycling is a business. Do your BEST to exhaust the first 3 Rs before choosing to recycle. Recycling uses SO much energy… especially when recycling PLASTICS. Water and energy is used to process recycling, and that matters. Recycling plastics is also a tricky thing because not only does it cost a lot, but there isn’t a huge market for recycled plastic materials. What’s more is that recycling reduces the quality of plastics, and plastics cannot be recycled forever. Eventually, they WILL end up in landfill.

Rot is the last step. If you have exhausted all the other Rs, rot is the final spot in which the items are left to rot in a landfill. And even when companies greenwash you to believe that plastic breaks down… be aware of what this means: that the plastic container, or other, breaks “down” into microscopic plastic pellets. These pellets are here to stay, polluting our soil, groundwater, and freshwater sources, even entering our food systems, and air. It’s everywhere. It matters.

1. Refuse – make an intentional choice to not purchase overpackaged/new products whenever you can
2. Reduce – ease your way out and reduce how much you consume
3. Reuse – repurposing items and packaging wherever possible
4. Recycle – glass and cardboard are good options – they will uphold their quality in the recycling process (though it still requires cost and energy); plastics are a different story
5. Rot – send to landfill

These are important things that we are all responsible for. We are not apart from the earth. We are one. What we do to it, we do to ourselves.

In love and compost,

Nadine