‘There are actually 10 R’s of sustainability’. My friend pointed out to me over coffee. She teaches about sustainability at Utrecht University. They use a list similar to this one (with only nine) by Nudge.
- REFUSE
- REDUCE
- REUSE
- REPAIR
- REFURBISH
- REMANUFACTURE
- REPURPOSE
- RECYCLE
- RECOVER
I wanted to know a bit more so last night I did some reading about it and learned a few things:
• Why are all these steps BEFORE RECYCLING so important, all adding to sustainability? Because recycling also costs a lot of energy. And,
• according to an article I read last night: it also fuels consumption. Companies keep producing new items, which still has a big environmental footprint. Recycling is the best for waste, but having less waste is even better. What do you think of that?
• So at the top, very important, before REDUCE they add = REFUSE or REFRAIN. The step before getting less items (REDUCE) is not buying or getting what you don’t need (REFUSE).
And how to REFUSE?
If you turn it around to a positive message: Only get what you need & and enjoy what you have, more and longer. And how to go from theory to practice? Easy! we are going to collect 100 ideas for you, all starting with a t-shirt. Making your old one, your favourite one. And how to get even more inspiration? We thought of a new series of stories: What is your fav t-shirt? Check our Instagram for the first stories!
x An