lesson
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Every single day, the average person in the United States throws away nearly 5 pounds of trash.
That adds up to mountains of garbage filling up giant outdoor pits called landfills. But you have three superpowers to stop waste: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Why do we say them in that exact order? Let's look at the hierarchy.
The 3 Rs Order
The 3 Rs are ranked by how much energy and pollution they save. Reducing is always the most helpful step, followed by reusing, and then recycling.
📊Interactive diagram
How do you stop waste before you even make it?
The Meaning of 'Reduce'
Reducing means using less of something so we make less rubbish in the first place.
Simple ways to reduce include turning off the tap while brushing teeth, turning off lights when leaving a room, and packing snacks in washable snack boxes.
What should you do with items you already have at home?
The Meaning of 'Reuse'
Reusing means finding a new purpose for an item instead of throwing it into the bin.