Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Re-cycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Probably the most widely known eco-friendly sustainable practice today.  Most cities have recycling centers or even curb-side recycling programs and you can even earn a few bucks in certain states.  At California State University, Fullerton every semester the Center for Sustainability (my job) is asked where are the recycle bins.  What's awesome about CSUF is that the recycle program is connected to the waste system so even if a student isn't consciously aware to recycle, the campus does it for them! 

Now I can rattle on about all the different facts about recycling (recycling is good for the planet), but I would rather spend the time talking about the WHOLE cycle not just recycling.  I will dedicate individual posts to each section of the cycle, but for now let's talk about the whole circular resource plan.

All the sections are good for the health of the planet.  We have limited resources and reducing, reusing and recycling the resources extend the overall use of them.  Doing just one is a step in the right direction.  However, none of the sections can stand alone and have the same amount of good planet caring as the whole combined cycle.  Sounds daunting I know.  But all it takes is to start small and slowly it will become so habitual you wont even think about it.  To persuade the masses also starts with you.  Each of these sections saves money, and in this hard economy saving money is a big deal.  Use it.  Tell your family, friends, co-workers, roommates, the person in the seat next to you: save money by reducing the total amount you spend on stuff, reusing what you already have, and recycle what you have to toss.  You can even tell them they can earn a few extra bucks in the process if they really want.  Of course, the other important thing is to do it yourself.  No one listens to a hypocrite.  You don't have to be crazy about it, just taking the steps to become more aware about it.  Start small, with one section and then move to the next section.  It's not like it is going to take long to live the complete cycle, there are only three sections after all! 

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