Fast Fashion. This has become a term everyone has become familiar with. Over the last couple of years, fast fashion has made its presence known. The fashion industry itself is known to be responsible for almost 10% of our global emissions. Fast fashion produces massive amounts of clothing that are more affordable and more efficient to produce. These industries jump on latest trends to draw in large crowds. However, even though this sounds extremely convenient, fast fashion has made numerous detrimental effects on the environment. Clothing requires unimaginable amounts of oil, space, chemicals and water to produce. According to BBC, it is estimated that it takes 2,700 litres of water to produce ONE t-shirt! Unbelievable right?! Over the years, globally, clothing has made a huge impact on our own personal carbon footprints. To combat this issue, we have to make the choice of supporting more sustainable brands. We should also be willing to reuse and repurpose our materials.  Every single action of ours, impacts someone or something else in one way or another. It’s important that we are aware of the results of our actions. By dressing green, we can save green!

I agree. Fast fashion has been a problem. One thing you can do is to stop going to fast fashion places and start thrifting. thrifting is a good way to stop buying fast fashion. When you thrift the clothes are generally cheaper and could be better quality and also decreases your carbon footprint. It's also a good way to reuse and repurpose clothing that were once used.

Did you know that 19 precent of Canadian households drink primarily bottled water. This just shows that there are still so many people that don't use a water bottle. It us very important to use a water bottle because it prevents us from using so much unnecessary plastic. it is also way cheeper to use a water bottle instead of buying bottles water because if you have a water bottle you can just refill it but if you buy bottled water than you have to buy it every time you need water. You can also just refill the bottle of water you buy and keep refilling it instead of getting a new one every time. This is why you should just buy a reusable water bottle because it will save you money, time and help the environment.

Reusing things are really important like going to the grocery store and buying new bags for ur grocery's but instead u can use reusable bags and bring them from home. By doing that your saving urself money and being eco friendly. Ur also cutting down the waste of the extra plastic bags your buying that is goanna end up in the landfill or ocean. Also fixing up t-shirts like sewing ones with holes or rips in them and if ur clothes get smaller donate them.

In our society, lots of new things are being made cheap and quickly every second of the day. They are made out of plastic, being imported into wealthier countries, and they don't tend to last. Instead of participating in fast fashion, people should try going to thrift stores and buying used clothes or items. Thrifting is also typically much cheaper than buying brand new items. You may even find products which are made with higher quality fabrics. If you grow out of your clothes you should donate them to thrift stores, reuse the fabric for something else, or try making a Tshirt no sew reusable bag.

I know a lot of people now buy new bags whenever they go grocery shopping and always get new plastic boxes when getting takeout for food. Although what happens to all those bags and boxes once you are finished with them? Most are just throw in the trash and forgotten about which causes more carbon and methane into our atmosphere. So start reusing your bags and boxes instead of getting new ones everytime you go out to eat or go shopping.

From the article “ Introduction: Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose: The Afterlives of Japanese Material Culture” by Halle O’Neal the action of reuse and repurpose is focused and explained.
As defined within the article, “To reuse, recycle, or repurpose an object often necessitates repairing that object so that its usefulness can continue.” By completing the action of repurposing an object this will help allow in a decrease of trash buildup. Not only does it help with decreasing waste but the reuse aspect allows for that object to continue to be useful in a variety of ways.

https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/a … e/id/3985/

I really like this idea, not only does it cut down on waste but it could potentially give the item a new home and purpose.

A lot of people may think that repurposing and recycling is limited to just plastics, however this is not the case. The article https://www.almanac.com/upcycling-ideas … -repurpose gives a variety of ideas in order to repurpose everyday items such as, rubber bands, toilet paper cardboard, and even toothbrushes. I believe that if influencers and people who have a big social media presence advertised this more and made repurposing trendier, then it would lead to an overall positive effect on the environment. Think about thrifting, while it has always been around, apps like TikTok and Instagram made it a trend to buy secondhand clothing. This has led to a positive effect on the amount of clothing that makes it to landfills. If influencers advertised that more over fast fashion, it would create such a huge impact on our waste.

The number of plastic we use is an insane number.In my opinion  we shouldn't throw it away immediately,but use it as much as we can and recycle it.

Thank you so much and I completely agree with everything that you said! There is so much overproduction and overuse of plastic especially with water bottles and then they just end up in landfills or in the oceans. I think that with this issue there are many answers to this problem. One solution could be to buy water bottles that are reusable and are not made out of plastic. This has been a new trend, especially in the United States through Stanley and Hydroflask water bottles where people have these on them at all times. Another solution that I practice at home is by rinsing out all plastic bottles and then use them to propagate plants. I take the bottles and cut them to the desired size and height and then fill them with water and put the plants in them. Not only do I do this but I also went to go have lunch one day and saw a business putting plants and avocado seeds in plastic bottles to propagate them. Plastic and bottles are so multifunctional and if we just stop to think about the different purposes we can come up with great ideas and unique ways to help save our planet. If we can just start reusing little by little we can continue to get plastic out of Mother Nature. Thank you and have a great rest of your day!

It is very important to be aware of Your impact on the Earth, which includes the products you buy and use. However, it is just as important to be aware of how you can reuse those same products so you can reduce your carbon footprint as well. For example, you can reuse plastic containers that came with food when you bought it for future usage. It's also just as important to help bring awareness to others on how they can be more earth friendly like putting up posters on public areas about where and how to properly recycle.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … you-can-do

I agree that the usage of plastic in everyday life has reached an extremely high number. In addition to this, the act of using “one time use” plastic items like plastic water bottles or plastic bags at grocery stores feels so normal as so many people do it in their everyday lives without concern of the harm it does to the environment. Overall, I agree that the usage of plastic is not good and instead people should seek an alternative like a metal water bottle or a reusable bag for groceries.

Recycling and reusing are important strategies for reducing waste and conserving resources, which benefits our environment. By recycling materials like paper, plastic, and glass, we reduce the need for new materials, which helps lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Reusing items, whether it’s repurposing containers or donating clothes, extends the life cycle of products and minimizes landfill waste. We can help by including these practices into our daily lives—setting up a home recycling system, buying secondhand items, By making small, conscious choices, we can collectively make a positive impact on the planet and promote a more sustainable future. This link will take you to a clothing website that uses used clothes and re purposes them into cute vintage clothing.

https://recycled.clothing/?srsltid=AfmB … hmvgihTmxd

Recycling isn't hard at all. I think an easy way to start off recycling is to buy a recycling bin and sort out all the trash that you have into groups of whatever can be recycled and that's the basics of recycling. If you really want to be environmentally friendly you could volunteer for recycling programs to help out around your area and around other places as well.

I agree with you.It helps reduce waste. Like, we produce so much trash every day,and recycling means that we’re giving materials a second chance instead of just tossing them in a landfill.That’s way better for the environment! Plus, recycling saves energy. When we recycle things like paper and plastic, it takes way less energy to turn them into new products than it does to create those products from scratch.

One thing I can do to better help the environment is reducing the use of single use plastic products. This can be plastic water bottles, straws, and even the wrapping of packages that products come in. There is a saying that goes reduce, reuse, and THEN recycle. It is firstly important to reduce the use of single use plastics. I found that having a water bottle that isn't made of single use plastic is a good way to reduce the amount of single use plastic I use. One of the ways I reuse plastic is through takeout containers. We have a Vietnamese restaurant that serves takeout food in plastic containers. Instead of throwing them out, we have started using them to store leftovers when we eat.

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use … -101#avoid

My mom does this a lot and I do too because those containers are good when you have a lunch box and want something to put food in and most of all it's free who would want to miss out on that?

I learned that old makeup packaging makes up 120 million units of thrash and when I found that I wanted to see what I could do to keep that from happening. So, most of my makeup packages I would reuse for other things which is to hold other things and the ones I couldn't reuse I would do the Sephora and they have a bin where you could recycle makeup packaging.

I think people throw away things that can be reused way too often. There are many ways that people can reuse things to rerduce the waste they produce. I found a few ways to reuse some items on This Website.

I completely agree with you. Through recent years people have seemed to care less about how they're harming the environment or they're just oblivious to what they're doing. I think people should really take the time to sit back and think about recent global problems like climate change, water scarcity, marine ecosystem deterioration, the decrease in biodiversity, etc.

It is important to acknowledge that recycling can be one of the best ways you can help save the planet even by a little bit. It is equally as important to know the proper items that can be recycled so you do not cause a disruption to the recycling centers when they have to sort out improper items. For example, I would not have assumed gardening hoses to be unrecyclable considering it is material can be burned down to make other objects. The website I have provided is a good reference point for anyone who would like to have an idea how the American recycling system works. It would be interesting to see if the recycling systems of other countries are similar to the US.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/frequent-qu … cycling101

When i change my clothes, sometimes i discard some of them. The parish church collects clothes and objects to give to people in need. In the last period, an application has spread, it's called "vinted", where all people in the world can sell and buy used things.
I think that using these methods can give new life to the items and clothes to avoid to throw them in the landfills.

Hello! I personally donate my clothes to organizations that give them to people who need it, and I think that popular application is great! There is always someone who will want something another person doesn't. Thrifting is very popular, which is shopping preowned items, similar to the application you mentioned. This can cut down waste significantly, especially for clothes and household items.

I do agree that making sure products don't go to waste and can be reused if not by yourself then by someone else is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint. However, it is important to make sure that you know how to decipher which clothes can be donated and which ones are not. The website I have provided gives you good tips and rules on which clothes are excellent candidates. It would really benefit the Earth if we could reuse or recycle some of the 50 billion pieces of articles of clothing that we throw out to some good use.

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/hom … ling-guide

If we want to recycle,but don't know how,here's a metod:We can take the object that we want to recycle(ex.a plastic bottle ) and do something useful with it by painting it, cutting it,etc.(like a vase for plants)
So,dear children we can create a healthier environment for our body by creating!✨???

I totally agree✨✨

We as humans are so wasteful. We have so many possessions that we just throw away or never use again. I found an article that shows a bunch of items that we all have lying around our house that could be repurposed! Such as using an old toothbrush to scrub those tight spots around the house or using old socks as cleaning rags!
https://www.kindafrugal.com/17-creative … day-items/

After doing this carbon footprint project. I came to realize just because my area doesn't do recycling as part of trash pick up, I could be using the plastic bottles in our household for so much more. We do use a lot of plastic in our home. I do a lot of gardening and found some great ways to reuse those plastic bottles. I already use gallon milk jugs as watering cans. I also take the gallon milk jugs and put small holes at the bottom to make a hand sprinkler. But in the article 27 Easy Plastic Bottle Crafts (https://www.pillarboxblue.com/plastic-bottle-crafts/), I found so much more ways. Since plastic is non biodegradable, I want to find ways to keep them out of the landfills as much as I can with my part. Check out all the creative things you can do with plastic.

Can't find why I'm SKIBDI RIZZ Ohio sigmatiy

we could use less plastic, more paper and cloth bags that you can reuse, you can also reuse plastic utensils and straws, just wash them if you use them. Try not to leave trash around, especially the beach!

Try reusing a bag for your groceries!

You can use the plastic shopping bags as garbage bags or shop with them again.

We can use reusable cups

You can also use reusable water bottles

The amount of trash we use is a massive number, and all of it goes into a landfill but there are so many ways we could reuse this trash and lessen the numbers in the landfill. For example, plastic water bottles don't have to be used for just one purpose, they can be refilled with tap water or at a water fountain and used repeatedly. As well as a piece of paper, don't just use one side and throw it out, use the other side. There are also super fun activities for kids that can be making crafts out of pieces of trash like a toilet paper roll, or kleenex box. What I'm saying is not everything is just a one and done, things can have other purposes as well.

I agree with you, reusing items and materials has a positive impact on our environment and helps with climate change. Reusing is a part of the five Rs (refusing, reusing, recycling, reusing, and reducing). There are tons of examples for reusing such as pins that could be used as holding items, cardboard boxes that could be used as holding paper, and jars or paper cups be used as holding pencils in them. These are some great ways to reuse materials. As you said plastics could also be reused as many uses to us. Yes, and crafts are another important but also fun way to reuse and a good idea to teach new learners or kids. Instead of just throwing something away and buying another, reuse it. Basically, the concept is reusing as many things as we possibly can to help our environment be more friendly and reusable. If you are curious about the five Rs in general then go look at my most recent post under 'Reusing and Refusing'.

I agree with both of you. So many materials go to waste, instead of being used again. Reusing instead of wasting would have a positive impact on the environment by preventing pollution and saving energy. Lowering the amount of waste going to landfills also reduces the amount of toxicity in the water around the landfills which has a positive impact on the environment.

I totally agree with the three of you. So many people, when throwing something away, don't acknowledge the fact that they could reuse or repurpose the item they are throwing away. Not only can reusing or repurposing items be fun and a creative activity to do (depending on what you are reusing), but it can prevent your waste from ending up in landfills in turn harming the environment, and turn what would have been "waste" into "art." Other than the environment, this can save you money as you can use that object to the max instead of throwing it away and spending money on a new one. I give many specific examples in my post on the topic of "Reuse and Repurpose" that we can start doing today for a more sustainable environment

I agree, recycling can deffinetly contribute to a Greener future. After using plastic bottles and other containers, you should always recycle, wether its putting it in the recycling bin or making a craft project out of it, you should deffinetly do it. After using a plastic bottle, where do you think it goes? Well, it turns out that some of it gets dumped into the ocean and can injure or even kill Marine life, so next time you are using plastic, consider how you could reuse it.

I agree, recycling and reusing definitely will help make this plant greener because there would be less one use plastics, there would also be less green house gas emissions because we would be making less plastic and glass.

I completely agree! I recycle and refuse everything I can and it was honestly surprising how many people don’t do this! I did some research and was astonished that more people haven’t taken action and helped people who either don’t know how or don’t know where to start.

I agree reusing all kinds of trash is very good for the environment. We should all try to recycle as much as possible and try to reuse plastic we use. If something is not too dirty we should try and reuse it for something else.

I agree you should reuse everything and reuse plastic definitely and that will help you a lot so if you see trash throw it away and reuse it like definitely use glass and plastic and spend time with some of your friends and that will help you a lot

If everyone reused, we could have a much, much cleaner Earth.

I agree there are so many things we throw away that could be recycled or reused. As a planet there are a lot of things we are doing wrong

Yeah and as shown in some of the other post trash can be made to make beautiful art.

After looking at My carbon calculator results I saw that they were higher than the average for my area. Because of this, I started to think and discuss ways to lower my score with my family. We thought of ways to reuse items more times than we already do before eventually throwing them away. For clothes, we thought of finding places to give old clothes away so they have another life. For example, donating to thrift stores or giving clothes to younger family members. When it comes to purchasing new items we as a family decided to actively try and get clothes second-hand. When it comes to waste we will do better to reuse containers and jars. For example, we could reuse jelly jars as makeup brush holders or use them to hold leftovers. These were just some of the ideas we came up with that would help lower our carbon footprint by reusing and repurposing the items we already have in our house. I hope that this can help someone else to think of new ways to reuse and repurpose things they have in their house.

I really like all of your ideas.

Good idea, I should start doing some of those things in my family to lower my carbon emissions.

Instead of tossing out old items, why not give them a new lease on life? Reusing and repurposing can breathe new life into old belongings, reducing waste and our environmental impact. That shirt at the back of your closet? It could become a trendy tote bag. Those empty jars? Perfect for storing pantry staples or organizing crafts.
By embracing "Reuse & Repurpose," we cut down on the need for new products, conserving resources and energy. Plus, it's a chance to get creative and have fun! So, before you toss something, consider its potential for a new purpose.

I agree that we should reuse things that can be reused

Being able to reuse and repurpose as well as recycle is a very important topic. It has many benefits, mainly preventing pollution by reducing the need to harvest raw materials. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change. If you take the time to look around there are things used everyday in your home that can be repurposed. If you're a wine drinker or have a parent/guardian who is, they can be used as a non toxic fire starter. This is just one example where you could really get crafty. There is also a way to make a difference with substituting. Substituting things you use on a everyday basis can be hard but if you start little by little you will eventually make big changes. An easy way you can start with substituting is with grocery bags. Start with when you take a trip to the grocery store, don't immediately go for the plastic bags. Come prepared with your own reusable bags. Not everyone may own their own personal grocery bags but there are many stores that offer them for sale. Another thing I do in my home is saving our plastic bags. Although we're still using them we are reusing them instead of just throwing them out. This is a great example of repurposing. Another example we see everyday with people is having a personal water bottle. All this plastic is piling up fast, especially when the items we use everyday are plastic. A reusable water bottle is a great way to limit this problem. Now environment friendly options aren't always the most reasonable. We go to the store with the idea of wanting to do better. Then aren't a;ways able to when we see the prices. The glorification of wanting to do better for the environment is a problem. This makes it unrealistic for many people as well as out of reach. This is why reusing, repurposing, and recycling should be a more educated topic. It is always nice when you know you can make a change without having to do the most difficult thing.

Around 10% of CO2 emissions worldwide come from textile production. Much of fast fashion is just thrown away when it goes out of style. Most clothes are designed to last longer and, when not disposed of properly, can take hundreds of years to decompose. Not only does throwing away clothes contribute to pollution, but the creation of the clothes adds to pollution.  The pollution that the textile industry produces comes from three main areas: Dyeing, yarn preparation, and fiber production. Dyeing and finishing makes up 36%, yarn preparation makes up 28%, and fiber production makes up 15% of the pollution produced. These all also contribute to the fossil fuel problem, as they are very “energy-intensive”. Instead of throwing away clothes when you no longer want them, why not donate them to thrift stores? Thrift stores are a great place to get clothes on a budget and buying used clothes helps to cut down on the CO2 emissions produced by throwing them away. Thrifting clothes not only serves a practical use, but an aesthetic one as well. Thrifting can provide a larger range of styles of clothes than just what is in fashion. Some thrift stores are non-profit organizations, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, and provide jobs for many people. To help combat the pollution produced by the textile industry, we can shop at non-profit thrift stores such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and ReStore.
Another way the textile industry contributes to pollution is by washing clothes. Every year, about 500,000 tons of microfibers are sent out into the ocean by washing clothes. Washing machines do not have small enough filters to catch the microfibers, so when the clothes are washed and the tiny plastics are released they are not caught. They often go through sewage treatment plants and are not caught. They are found everywhere throughout the world, from the peaks of high mountains to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. They can also cause serious health issues such as genetic disruption and poisoning. Not only does washing clothes contribute to pollution, so does the washing machine itself. In addition to using excessive amounts of water to clean clothes, it also “emits an estimated 62 million tonnes of CO2-eq greenhouse gases each year”.

https://goodwillsouthtexas.com/the-trut … ft-stores/
https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2023/1 … ach%20year.
https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrime … ach%20year.
https://planetcare.org/en-int/pages/washing-clothes-pollutes-oceans-with-microplastics#:~:text=Because%20washing%20machines%20don't,and%20travel%20down%20the%20drain.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi … nt%20years.

I think we should reuse or repurpose things. It is extremely important to reuse because then we wouldn't be producing too many waste, which can help save earth. Even though somethings may not be reused or repurposed, it is best to reuse things that can be. From now on I will try and bring reusable bags instead of using plastic bags, and also try to recycle things.

I agree with this method and it is probably the easiest way to reduce carbon footprint.

I agree. We might not be able to eliminate carbon footprint completely, but we can start with what we CAN do to help. Remember, small things build up to great things.

I agree with the fact that reusing items, especially bags as they are a huge cause for issues in different environments. However, you can also find ways to reuse plastic bags instead of completely discarding and disregarding them. Plastic bags from the grocery store can be used as a substitute for garbage bags for smaller garbage cans. An example would be personal garbage in rooms of homes. There are other ways you can repurpose plastic baggies. They can be used for cleaning up the waste of pets. Many people, including myself, use plastic bags to clean up after our litterbox for the cats. This ends up benefiting everyone involved. By repurposing the bags, we lessen the amount of materials used to make more products; which in turn saves energy on the company side. Repurposing other materials like cardboard boxes, glasses, and other types of plastic also produces the same result. It reduces the amount of waste produced and in return, gives environments better rates of survival and the animals in it.

https://www.ibanet.org/article/76F8D2A9 … 0blockages

https://natran.com/how-to-repurpose-eve … -doing-so/

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Recycli … 0in%20bulk

With carbon levels increasing a substantial way to decrease these levels is to reuse and repurpose the materials you use. Research shows that recycling and reusing materials reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reusing and repurposing materials helps sustain the environment for future generations and also reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators. Items that can be reused and repurposed include, old clothing, cloth grocery bags, and containers. Buy used items to reduce waste as well as the emissions created by producing new materials or disposing of them in landfills. When you think of recycling, you probably only think about paper and plastic. What many people don’t realize is that there are many more materials to recycle than just those. Some of these materials include cardboard, glass, aluminum, batteries, electronics, food, and lawn materials. If people don’t start trying to make a difference in the environment, then bad things will happen. For example, when specific waste, such as styrofoam, ends up in a landfill, the harmful chemicals seep into the soil, which can result in cancerous cells forming in the dirt. Neglecting to recycle plastic water bottles can pollute large bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, and rivers. One of the benefits of reusing and recycling is that using recycled materials means that there is less of a demand for new materials, which means there is less deforestation which helps decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. According to Florida Tech, each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution. When talking in terms of plastic, Florida Tech states that plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year. In conclusion, you should reuse and repurpose your items to help decrease your carbon footprint, and help save the world from the harms of climate change.

Renewable wind, we get electricity from the wind. Better than solar panels Possible cons to birds would die but if birds learn how to see big moving propellers they move out the way  Other cons are the material needed to build these devices. Pros can be that this gives us constant energy with no negative effects to the environment. Wind power is a clean and renewable energy source. Wind turbines harness energy from the wind using mechanical power to spin a generator and create electricity. Not only is wind an abundant and inexhaustible resource, but it also provides electricity without burning any fuel or polluting the air. Wind energy in the United States helps avoid 336 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually—equivalent to the emissions from 73 million cars . People can also get their own wind energy with smaller fans. We can also build the fans in the ocean so there is more space on land for other things. According to the IEA (World Energy Outlook 2022), the share of wind energy in global electricity generation, which in 2021 was 7%, will quadruple that figure by mid-century, with a share of 28%, when all renewables will produce 80% of the world's electricity, only surpassed by solar photovoltaic at 31% as the main source of electricity generation. Wind power accounts for approximately 80% of the electricity produced annually by the ACCIONA group. In 2022, the company produced a total of 18,876 gigawatt hours (GWh) from wind, equivalent to the consumption of around 5.52 million homes. By geographical area, 60% of wind power production was destined for the Spanish market, with 9,713 GWh, while 40% corresponded to other countries: Mexico (2,887 GWh), USA (2,067 GWh), Australia (1,075 GWh), Chile (817 GWh), Canada (524 GWh), India (354 GWh) and Portugal (276 GWh) as the main markets

The choices made by consumers play a significant role in determining the demands in goods and services. While reusing and repurposing can extend the lifespan of products instead of simply discarding them. Therefore, we should always be conscious of the products we consume and how we dispose them.

Furthermore, We can also repair old furnitures instead of tossing them away. In addition, instead of buying new bags every time when you go shopping, why not just bring reusable ones? When we buy clothes and new gadgets, we all know that it sometimes just ends up being thrown away, and these things can severely pollute our environment.

More importantly, reusing and repurposing items instead of buying new ones constantly not only reduces carbon emissions, but can also conserve valuable natural resources such as, water, energy, and raw materials, as making new products also require a lot of precious resources and energy. These contribute to pollutions and carbon emissions.

Let's all be wise consumers and think twice before consuming a product in order to protect our environment!

I agree with you. Even though my purchases for my carbon footprint were only in the 700s because I do not buy the newest things and I make sure to buy used clothes because I don't want the newest things. I feel that most people do buy things that they think they need or that they have to have that hurt the environment in reality they don't need them at all. I think that reducing your overall carbon footprint is a great thing by lowering the things you buy and only going somewhere when you absolutely have to. I will start to lower my carbon emission levels by lowering my transportation around the country. I also can stop buying so much food that I do not need. I don't throw it out but it sits there on my shelf forever and ever and sometimes it does go bad and I have to throw it out. I think that to get consumers to buy less things that are not reusable or low carbon emission products, we should advertise less things that have a high carbon emission. According to this article https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/ … te-change/ americans produce 25 percent more carbon levels on thanksgiving day and christmas than any other day in the world. This article also states. That when basic needs are met then consumers tend to buy more and more things for social status. They want to reach a higher level of social status depending on what percent of the population they are in. According to this article another fact is that a study done by the United Nations states that the top 1 percent of the world produce more than half of the CO2 levels than the bottom 50 percent of the population because of their purchases and needs in life. I agree with your final point that using renewable materials. Drastically decreases the carbon emission levels. But it also reduces the use of finite resources. And improves the overall quality of things like minerals, oil, and many other materials used in things around the world.

Humans use lots of plastic each year and it is one of the biggest causes to pollution. According to the United Nations, plastic takes 20 to 500 years to decompose. Imagine there is this piece of plastic, and it take around 250 years to decompose fully. However, during this period of time, there is a enormous amount of plastic still being created and pollution is still being made. "Humans currently produce more than 350 million metric tons of plastic waste per year," said Statista. Also, for plastic bags alone, there are 5 trillion plastic bags are produced yearly. That is not including plastics such as straws and bottles.

In order to reduce the amount of waste there is in land and in the ocean, we could reuse these plastics and repurpose them into something that we could use again. Today, there are already many plastics that were repurposed into something we're using. For example, many clothes in active wear have an amount in them that is made of the plastics. Big companies such as Adidas cooperated with Parley with the Oceans to make shoes out of fishnets thrown in the sea. Another company called Sea2See, which make eyewear, is 100% made of recycled marine and ocean plastic waste. This gives the plastic that we throw in the ocean into something that we could use daily.

The plastic straw could help turn into sun glasses. These companies won't have to produce more plastic, they could just use plastics already existing and turn them into something different. From a single use product into something that we could use numerous times helps to sustain the environment.

Using old plastic to make new things, like clothes and glasses, is a good idea. Companies like Adidas and Sea2See are already doing this. They turn plastic from the ocean into useful items we can wear. This helps stop pollution and makes our planet cleaner. We should do more of this to help our Earth stay healthy.

One of the biggest causes for carbon emissions and the slow deterioration of the environment is the amount of waste and trash that people don’t properly take care of. There are many ways we can improve this bad habit however. Increasing recycling is a very important thing that everyone should take part in and could greatly benefit the environment, but not everything is recyclable. Only about 5% to 6% of plastic is recycled in the U.S. each year. The reason behind this would be due to the fact there is simply too much plastic and different varieties of it.

Recycling is not the only way to reduce this issue. There are many other methods that more people should use today, and I think it would be a benefit to everyone if it happened. The main way is through the reuse and repurposing of our items. If we can move into a world where the materials we use can last a long time and not just be thrown away after one use it will already be a step in the right direction. Repurposing glass, plastic, and cardboard containers, giving them new life is just one small thing more should do. Instead of using the plastic bags that supermarkets provide to you, bring your own reusable shopping bag that you can bring with you anywhere you go. Instead of purchasing new wrapping paper and packaging for gifts each year, hold on to them and reuse those for the next year.

It goes far beyond just containers and packaging that can be reused or repurposed. If you have old clothes you no longer need or have grown out of, don’t just let it go to waste or discard it. Donate these items to charities or people in need. The same applies for food, only buy what you need and give the rest away that you don’t need. There is not a worse feeling than opening your pantry or fridge and finding out that half the stuff is expired.

Another big factor for pollution is that more people could reduce or limit their use of disposable cutlery and crockery for parties. If you have a party at a house then there is most likely real cutlery and crockery. There is no harm in using these things, it might just take a little extra work once the parties are over. The final thing I want to touch on is batteries; these are often thrown away and not properly disposed of once they are fully used. Luckily for us there is an alternative, as rechargeable batteries are a thing. These are items you only have to buy once and can use over and over again. Sure, the lifespan might not be as long, but it will for sure benefit the environment and greatly help to reduce carbon emissions.

Sources:

https://www.recyclenow.com/how-to-recyc … duce-waste
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/ … g-america/
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/09 … -pollution

In the age of fast fashion and clothing trends ending within weeks, one of the most environmentally conscious ways to stay on trends is to thrift your clothes. As of 2023, the fashion industry contributes to 60 million tons of plastic pollution every year, this mass amount of pollution is 1/5th of the world’s whopping 300 million tons of plastic pollution every year. When thrifting not only do you save money while being able to rep popular brands, but you also help lower the need of supply and demand for clothing products and prevent these items from ending up in landfills which damages the environment because clothing takes years to decompose depending on the material. Oftentimes you can find much more sturdy clothes due to older clothes being of higher quality in comparison to the newer more cheaply made clothing, this allows for more weartime which keeps you away from needing to buy replacement items as fast. Not only is fast fashion wearing on others' morals due to its contribution towards environmental destruction, but it also tests consumers due to its use of child labor and underpayment of workers. Of the fast fashion industry workers, it is reported that under 2% of those employed make minimum wage. On top of these unethical practices, “the apparel industry is among the top polluters, producing vast greenhouse gas emissions and in 2021 alone, the industry released 897 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents”. The production of new clothes can not be put to a stop and likely will never be stopped due to supply and demand in a capitalistic world, but by thrifting and choosing to wear clothes already made or handed down, you can reduce this rising need of production.

https://wp.nyu.edu/mercerstreet/2022-20 … thrifting/
https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2023/1 … ach%20year.
https://studentbriefs.law.gwu.edu/ilpb/ … -industry/
https://stateofmatterapparel.com/blogs/ … 0by%202030.
https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2023/1 … ach%20year.

Reusing and repurposing materials is very beneficial to fighting against climate change.  Thrifting clothes, using reusable bags and recycling plastic and tin are all ways you can help fight against climate change by reusing and repurposing.  You can use old worn out materials, fabrics, or waste to make new and improved pieces as well.  All around climate change is a real issue and one of us fighting isn't enough, it takes everybody and this is a simple first step to moving forward in that.  An article made by kpwb states that "Because recycling requires a lot of  energy, it comes with its own share of pollution.  Reusing and repurposing do not create pollution.  Rather, items are made useful in their current state.  This is especially true for things  like clothing.  If you cannot reuse clothing, try recycling or repurposing it or donate to a local homeless shelter.  Practicing conscious consumerism will cut down on the amount of items that end up in landfills."  Stating that the action of reusing and repurposing different items including and especially clothing, can significantly help pollution, as doing this still causes some pollution but any reduction in the amount you are creating is worth it.  Pollution is almost completely unavoidable no matter what we do, but we should still strive to do everything we can to reduce our individual emissions.  Another article made by epa.gov states that there are many ways reusing and repurposing helps us and they list some of the many ways.  It reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials, Saves energy, Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, Helps sustain the environment for future generations, Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators, Allows products to be used to their fullest extent, and it saves money.  These are just more points proving how reusing and repurposing has so many benefits while also being one of the easiest ways to reduce pollution and help fight against climate change.  Climate change is a serious problem around the world and there are so many ways to help fight it. Reusing, recycling, repurposing, using composts, not wasting food, not burning unnecessary fossil fuels and many other things will help plenty.  Reusing and repurposing helps just as much as any other option but it's also extremely easy to participate in.

https://kpwb.org/why-reuse/#:~:text=It% … %20less%20

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-an … cinerators

You frequently receive plastic bags with your purchases, and once you're done with them, you just toss them in the trash. To reduce waste, you should reuse things rather than tossing them away. They can also be used for numerous other purposes, such as if you need to bring a project to school you can put them in there, or reuse them when going shopping. Consider whether anything can be used for something else first before throwing it away. When we have plastic bags to store our food for lunch like crackers or celery, instead of every single day you use 5 new plastic bags and throw them out, instead you can reuse them. This can have a significant impact on our plastic usage and might be able to gradually impact our world for the better.

This is so true. Plastic bags are extremely harmful to the environment. The World Counts writes that "an estimated 300 million plastic bags every year end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone"(https://www.theworldcounts.com). With so much plastic ending up in our oceans, many different species are being affected by mankind's habits of creating and wasting plastic. If we each individually can do our part by reusing plastic bags or bring our own reusable bag, we can help make a positive impact on our environment.

Yes, I agree that plastic bags are detrimental to the environment. Plastic bags are usually not biodegradable, however, over time the plastic breaks down into toxic polymers that contaminate water and soil. These particles stay in the water or soil, continuing to release toxins for many years. Also, to produce plastic bags, a lot of fossil fuels are burned, adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. As you said, this is exactly why it is so important to reuse plastic bags, so more don't need to be produced. Plastic bags that end up in streams can also block water flow, which results in flooding. They also end up in our oceans. Animals end up eating the plastic. A recent study found that 50 percent of sea turtles had plastic in their stomachs. An alarming number of animals are dying every year from eating plastic.
https://lochtree.com/blogs/blog/environ … astic-bags

What is recycling? Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turned into new products. A lot of public spaces have separate trash cans one in which for recycling and the other for normal trash. Now you might wonder how much percent of trash we can recycle. According to recycling. bins.com about 80% of the things we throw away could be recycled. Now many may say that recycling is a failure since only about 5-6% of plastic gets recycled in the USA. However, this may be because of several issues such as poor advertising, and humans feeling greedy. Now how can we fix this? In accordance with several reports, recycling campaigns have been useful in addressing the issue. There can also be laws that can be established regarding recycling and usage of products.

Some countries have already taken action such as Germany, France, Japan, and more. These countries have banned the sale of single-use plastic straws, cutlery, cotton buds, and food containers. Some other things that can help tackle the issue are if supermarkets ban the use of plastic bags and stop providing them to their customers. Instead, we could all bring our reusable bags. In addition, we can donate items that are still in good, usable condition to charities. Not only that but at the Christmas season we often wrap our gifts with wrapping paper and then throw them away. However, if the wrapping paper is not wrapped/destroyed why don't we reuse it so that we don't have to rebuy some next year?

  Why is recycling important? More and more people recycle every day. This helps reduce landfills and more costly forms of disposal. Recycling also lessens the requirement for raw material extraction (mining, quarrying, and logging), refining, and processing—all of which significantly contaminate the air and water. By lowering greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy conservation, this helps combat climate change. Recycling prevents countless tons of rubbish from ending up in landfills. Recycling reduces carbon emissions in the UK by 10–15 million tons annually, which is the same as removing 3.5 million automobiles off the road.

  I encourage you to try to recycle as much as you can to create a positive impact on the world. Every bit helps!

I created a new account so it shows my name instead of dog123hello, so this conversation was created by Camille

What is recycling? Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turned into new products. A lot of public spaces have separate trash cans one in which for recycling and the other for normal trash. Now you might wonder how much percent of trash we can recycle. According to recycling. bins.com about 80% of the things we throw away could be recycled. Now many may say that recycling is a failure since only about 5-6% of plastic gets recycled in the USA. However, this may be because of several issues such as poor advertising, and humans feeling greedy. Now how can we fix this? In accordance with several reports, recycling campaigns have been useful in addressing the issue. There can also be laws that can be established regarding recycling and usage of products.

Some countries have already taken action such as Germany, France, Japan, and more. These countries have banned the sale of single-use plastic straws, cutlery, cotton buds, and food containers. Some other things that can help tackle the issue are if supermarkets ban the use of plastic bags and stop providing them to their customers. Instead, we could all bring our reusable bags. In addition, we can donate items that are still in good, usable condition to charities. Not only that but at the Christmas season we often wrap our gifts with wrapping paper and then throw them away. However, if the wrapping paper is not wrapped/destroyed why don't we reuse it so that we don't have to rebuy some next year?

  Why is recycling important? More and more people recycle every day. This helps reduce landfills and more costly forms of disposal. Recycling also lessens the requirement for raw material extraction (mining, quarrying, and logging), refining, and processing—all of which significantly contaminate the air and water. By lowering greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy conservation, this helps combat climate change. Recycling prevents countless tons of rubbish from ending up in landfills. Recycling reduces carbon emissions in the UK by 10–15 million tons annually, which is the same as removing 3.5 million automobiles off the road.

  I encourage you to try to recycle as much as you can to create a positive impact on the world. Every bit helps!

Thrifting can be very beneficial to lowering your carbon footprint for these reasons
1. Everything is way cheaper
2. Doesn't require anymore energy to make
3. You can find really cute stuff there[vintage, high value(for low cost),name brands]
4. Really good for basic items
5. Cheap sports equipment

Thrifting is amazing on so many levels. Clothing uses a lot of materials and produces a lot of chemicals in the process of being made. By thrifting, you’re cutting down the amount of emissions and resources it takes to make clothing. By recycling someone else’s clothing, you’re also taking away an item which could’ve ended up in the landfill. The items in a thrift store haven’t been imported in and it’s usually locals donating their clothing which means less pollution is getting emitted from vehicles. Depending on the thrift store you go to some of them donate their money to charities. It is usually a lot cheaper shopping at thrift stores than buying items brand new.

I 100% agree about thrifting. I get a lot of my clothes from my local good will and it is a lot cheaper than getting it new. Thrifting and donating to thrift stores helps everyone.(Including the environment) The donaters are happy because they got rid of their stuff that they do not need, GoodWill can hire more people and create jobs, the thrifter is happy because they got clothes for cheap and the environment is happy because more  GHG emissions were not put into the atmosphere to make new clothes. Everyone should at least do some thrifting.

I agree that thrifting is a great way to lessen carbon from damaging our planet. Think of it, the more we thrift clothes that are secondhand or even thirdhand can reduce the waste of producing large amounts of new product(clothing) every year. Plus on the bright side thrifting is a lot cheaper than buying new. When new clothing is made in factories it comes with a risk of chemicals being transmitted. It also helps to know when you thrift clothing, a large amount of it will be local. Some people can be concerned (for good reasons) where the product is coming from and who is making it. Overall, I think thrifting is a great idea for the planet and preventing less carbon emissions.

I agree. Thrifting is a good idea in so many different ways. By getting clothes secondhand, you are also preventing them from ending up in a landfill, saving energy and resources used to make new clothes and transport them, and supporting a non-profit organization, all while you save money. Sometimes, it can be hard to find things you like, which is your size while thrifting, but overall, it is worth it if you are saving the environment and your bank account.

I strongly agree, that thrifting is an amazing way to give clothes a second life! by purchasing secondhand clothes you are keeping them from ending up in a landfill and saving energy and resources. now that thrifting is easier than ever to do, heck you can even thrift online! there is really no excuse to be purchasing new clothes.

The benefits of thrifting are outstanding. There is no need to purchase everything new when it can produce more carbon and dirty water. Did you know it takes 3,781 liters of water to make one pair of jeans. And to get that pain of jeans from the factory and around the world through a load of different stores it will produce about 33.4 kilograms of carbon. Think if you went to a thrift store you could find the perfect clothing that you were even looking for. You can also use thrifted clothes to make something unique and new that no one else has.

Thrifting is a great way to let clothes live to their fullest potential. Thrifting is a great way to prevent the inevitable. Your clothes anting up in a landfill.

It's good to reuse things and repurpose them. Although not all things can be reused/repurposed, there are still many other ways to reduce carbon. Some example are buying a reusable water bottle rather then buying single use plastic ones, instead of buying a paper or plastic bag at the store, bring your own reusable bag, deonate your old clothes or buy someone else's clothes(thrifting). You can repurpose your old clothes or even change up some of the new clothes that you thrift. All of these are examples of ways we can reuse and repurpose things to prevent more waste in our environment.

I agree with this statement. Reusing and repurposing makes a huge difference in the environment and your carbon footprint. I agree that some things cannot be reused, like for example light bulbs. But there are so many things that can be reused for instance, clothes, plastic bags, plastic water bottles, bins, boxes, and so much more. Another action you can do is repurposing, you can donate clothes and shoes to thrift shops, or to families in need. I feel as though people should know the distinction between a want and a need. There are many things that people want in the world, an example would be new clothes that are trending, or the latest iPhone. But these things are not a need. I agree with the fact that phones are good to have and most people communicate through them and use them in their everyday lives. But you don't always need the new edition of a phone. The same also goes for new trendy clothes, many people buy clothes because they are trending online at the time. But overall reusing and repurposing clothes is a lot better for the environment.

Recycling is something that we should all do to help keep the environment clean and safer.  There are many videos and photos I'm sure you’ve seen that show the absurd amounts of trash in rivers/oceans/lakes.  If we all just recycle and clean our environment would be clean and safe not just for us but future generations.

Though i do agree that recycling is extremely important. It is also important to bring the facts to light. In 2021, only 5-6% of plastic produced was recycled and the rest is all thrown away. If we implement laws and rules to better enforce recycling there could be bigger change. Another way to combat plastic pollution is changing the packaging that is being used. There is already so much plastic out there, so we dont need anymore. Reusing the plastic and finding substitutes for plastic are the steps we need to take. Also, many people who do recycle, dont know where all the plastic goes. They put it in the bin, take it to the dump, and then where? I think if we properly educate people on recycling it will encourage people to do it more.

I completely agree, more recycling will be an overall better out look on the world because of how much waste there is in the world. Aldo us picking up after ourselves will reduce the waste that gets littered in the ocean or in the streets causing it to be a safer environment.

All of these responses are great! I am a firm believer in that recycling can make and has started to make a big impact on our earth. There hasn’t been a great amount of enforcement when it comes to making laws and having regulations. If we recycle more our climate and our planet will become healthier as time goes on. It is crucial to recycle and reuse so we don’t constantly waste important goods and be able to repurpose so we have less unnecessary product floating around.

I agree with recycling being a big importance and it impacting our earth greatly. Everyone knows of recycling but many still don’t participate in it. If we can get more people to see how important it is than I think it could help the earth even just a little bit. Recycling makes out environment safer from litter and toxins.

It is really important to recycle, reuse, and repurpose plastic. This is because most trash humans throw out is make out of plastic. Plastic takes a really long to completely decompose. So the amount of plastic trash build up is insane because there’s just so much plastic that builds up and doesn’t decompose as fast as it builds up. This is why it is important for us humans to try and recycle, reuse, and repurpose plastic trash. If we continue to reuse plastic then we can slow down the build up of plastic trash.

It is really important to recycle, reuse, and repurpose plastic. This is because most trash humans throw out is make out of plastic. Plastic takes a really long to completely decompose. So the amount of plastic trash build up is insane because there’s just so much plastic that builds up and doesn’t decompose as fast as it builds up. This is why it is important for us humans to try and recycle, reuse, and repurpose plastic trash. If we continue to reuse plastic then we can slow down the build up of plastic trash.

Plastic water bottles are some of the main contributors to increased carbon emissions and pollution. Plastic water bottles (plastic in general) is essentially a product made from fossil fuels (www.no-burn.org). We use plastic bottles in our everyday lives, and reusing and recycling is one way we may all reduce our carbon footprint. Some ways to reuse plastic is to create pots, use as a cup at home, create a watering bucket by poking holes, or simply dispose of the water bottle by placing it in any recycling bin. This will really cut back on plastic pollution, our carbon footprints, and fossil fuel consumption. Another solution is to completely stop buying plastic water bottles. There are many alternatives, you may use any metal water bottle. They are easily reusable and easy to clean when needed. They also keep your water cooler for longer or hotter depending on what's in there, and it is a lot safer for your health because micro-plastics aren't leaching into your water.

I agree. Plastic is the one of the most-used materials on Earth. When I read that plastic was made via burning fossil fuels, it was shocking to me. However, if we reuse plastic by turning it into a pot (quoted from comment above), and you burn the plastic, won't we just scrap it in the end anyway? There are different ways to use plastic, but I still think that  reusing them as household items is not THE best idea, because they will end up being tossed anyway.

I totally agree with this. Plastic water bottles are so bad for the environment. Plastic water bottles are contributing to increased carbon emissions and pollution. If you are going to use a plastic water bottle the least you can do it reuse it for a while and then recycle it. There are lots of creative ways you can reuse a plastic water bottle; you can cut the top off and paint it and use that to hold crayons, pencils,  art supplies and so much more. This is a great activity to do that could be fun for young kids. Another way to reuse plastic water bottles is by turning it into a diy plant pot and grow plants. Reusable water bottles are pretty affordable  and very easy to get. In conclusion, recycling is a pretty easy task. Everyone should be able to recycle plastic if you are going to use plastic in the first place.

An eco-friendly approach to living is promoted by the concepts of reuse and repurposing, which challenge the conventional "use and throw away" mentality. By finding new uses for items, we can extend their lives and lessen the need for new resources. This is known as reuse. Reusing objects such as glass jars or creatively modifying used furniture can be basic examples. Taking things that might otherwise be thrown away and giving them a new purpose is known as repurposing. A more inventive and sustainable way of life is promoted by embracing reuse and repurpose, which includes upcycling clothing and repurposing old objects. It also minimizes waste.

Almost everything can and should be reused or recycled. Most products you purchase will have a tag or sticker somewhere on it, telling whether or not it is recyclable. If it is, put it in recycling. If it isn't, YOU can reuse it yourself.

I can agree, but keep in mind not everything can be reused, there's simply things that cannot be reused like paper towels, bubble wrap, styrofoam, and aerosol cans. A better suggestion would be to either repurpose or limit your usage of things that cannot be recycled or reused.

I agree with what you said and I feel that people should not be lazy and to relize and tosee what their putting in the trash and to figure if they need to recycle it or to put it in other bins. The other pins beening recycle bin, glass bin, metal bin etc. Also we do have to keep in mind that not all places where your at have recycling bins or glass bins which should diffently be a change for our world and try to get rcycling bin everywhere for a better impact.

I agree with what you said, but unfortunately not everything can be reused or recycled. While many things can be reused or recycled, there are still some items that either don't have a recycling option available or are challenging to recycle. If you can't recycle an item though, you might be thinking, "can't we just reuse it then?" While I do think many items are reusable, there are also many that are hard to. for example, single use plastic, or items that might have been damaged beyond repair aren't reusable. If you can't reuse everything you're purchasing, then it's a good idea to invest in better quality items that last longer to reduce waste.

Ecological recycling reduces the need for landfills and incineration. Saves energy and avoids pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials and the manufacturing of products using virgin materials. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.

Reuse means taking products that would otherwise be discarded and using them again in their current form, or with few repairs or changes. People often mistakenly say they are recycling something when they are actually reusing it. Recycling involves collecting used materials, processing them mechanically and chemically, and remanufacturing them into new products. These activities consume energy, water, and other resources, and cause pollution. Although the resource use and pollution associated with recycling is far less than that created by manufacturing with virgin materials, it is greater than the act of simply reusing an item. Because of this you should reuse things before you try to recycle them.

Here's a list of some things you can reuse: Spread out old newspaper beneath a tablecloth to provide further protection against spills, make a bird feeder out of a 2-liter plastic bottle,
don’t throw old books away; upcycle them into beautiful handmade journals, keep used tea bags in the refrigerator; in the morning, dampen if needed and put one on each eye to relieve puffiness and refresh sleepy peepers.

Read more here: https://www.treehugger.com/ways-to-reus … ge-4863950

Reusing definitely helps us and the environment in several different ways. Reusing helps prevent pollution by lowering the amount of raw materials being made. This in turn lowers the amount of energy being used which lowers the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This helps the environment by bringing down Earth's average surface temperature. Reusing also reduces the amount of waste going to landfills. Landfills have toxic chemicals  which contaminates the water around them, which is harmful to people's health and the environment. This is why reusing materials and reducing the amount of waste going to landfills helps us and the environment.

The next time you go to recycle or throw something away, ask yourself this: Can I reuse or repurpose this item? I started asking myself that recently, and I have now realized how many items I can upcycle or repurpose instead of recycling. For example, I was about to discard a bunch of old CDs, but instead turned them into wall art. But, why didn’t I just recycle them? Why should we try to revive an item before recycling it?

Well, recycling is a process where you collect materials that would have been trash, to turn them into a new product. The problem is, with recycling, certain plastics ( which are the biggest and most harmful portion of marine litter ) simply won’t recycle. In fact, according to data, “only around 9% of plastics actually get recycled; the other 91% of plastics are landfilled, incinerated, or dumped into rivers, streams, and oceans” ( repurpose.global ). Also, from a manufacturing standpoint, using recyclable material in their product is an expensive process and might scare away buyers. So, what else can we do? Try to revive an item before you recycle it!

We’ve all heard it: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Before we recycle, we can't skip the first two R’s: reduce and reuse. How can we start implementing these practices into our lives right now?
1. REUSE shopping bags every time you go grocery shopping instead of using single-use bags. This way, you can REDUCE the amount of bags you are consuming. Other items include eating utensils or plating.
2. REPURPOSE items, like using old clothing as a rag or towel. For me, I dry my hair with an old t-shirt to get as many uses out of it as possible. If you’re artsy, you can cut out labels or photos from an item and use them in cards or projects.
3. Purchase items with less packaging; buy items in large containers instead of small, one-time-use packaging.

What are some examples of this in the world around us? In India, there is the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. This is a garden completely made and constructed of home waste and thrown-away items. This garden is an amazing showcase of reusing and repurposing, and how trash can be reused and turned into art.

So, the next time we’re about to get rid of something, think: How can I bring this item back to life by reusing it before recycling it?

Reuse is a means to prevent solid waste from entering the landfill, improve our communities, and increase the material. Reducing, reusing and recycling waste helps save landfill space by keeping useful materials out. The amount of energy and natural resources needed to produce or collect the raw materials and manufacture the product are reduced.  Some examples of trying recycle is reusing containers at home, school or anywhere or buy beverages in returnable containers. Overall, where as you would reuse a product for its original purpose in a new place or way, to repurpose would be to find a new purpose for an already existing material.

Reusing and repurposing creates wasting less. It is important to learn the five Rs (reusing, repurposing, reducing, reusing, and recycling) when learning how to eliminate waste. There are many ways to help with the five Rs, rechargeable power, crafting, afterlife for objects such as wood, tries, etc… These are great ways to learn how to use the five Rs. Clean energy helps with reusing, repurposing, and recycling. This could either be powered by wind or solar energy. Applying the 5 Rs to your daily life can make a positive impact on reducing air pollution, bad climate energy, greenhouse gases, etc… Reusing, instead of humans reusing objects, they buy new ones. Replacing plastics (water bottles, paper cups, paper plates, etc) with compostable and reusable alternatives, will help make a positive impact. Repurposing, some items are not able to be reused or reduced, but repurposing helps with that. Some examples of recycling or repurposing are cardboard boxes for storing supplies, cans/jars/cups for holding pens or pencils, and clips for holding cables. Reducing is ever helpful with keeping the environment clean. Instead of using multiple papers when printing use both sides of the paper, or instead of throwing something such as packaging, cut it and reduce and reuse it. Refusing is basically making smaller purchases when you easily reuse them. Recycling is the most important of all the five Rs and has a big impact on friendly waste disposal. A good example of recycling is paper materials and organics. These five Rs will have a great positive impact on our environment.

Things often found in the ocean, causing immense damage, are things that can be recycled. One example is that throwing plastic bottles and other plastic away, can get it to be thrown into the ocean, landfills etc. But bottles can be turned into clothes, bags, fabrics, car components, and more! It reduces the plastic in the world, into things used on a daily basis.

Yes, I agree with you. Bottles are very damaging to the ocean, especially to the creatures inside. For example, people have cut open the corpses of whales and found it filled with micro-plastics, which the whale cannot digest. Even though recycling might be tiring to some, we should still do it, considering the lives of the others sharing this planet with us.

Yes, I agree. Love this ?❤️??

Yes. I agree. All of this goofy plastic is damaging to the ocean life and our future. We should protect our own environment to protect our world.

I totally agree and I think people should be more careful to recycle plastic especially if they know what is happening in the oceans.

Totally agree with you. Recycling is vital to our earth and if we perform it correctly we can have some good benefits. First of all, recycling is important because it reduces waste sent to incinerators and landfills which can further populate the earth. Recycling also conserves our natural resources such as minerals, timber and water because these recycled objects have already been processed and refined, making them cleaner for our environment. Recycling benefits our environment by saving energy, helping to create jobs in recycling, and increasing economic security by using domestic materials. We can all do our part in recycling and making our earth better for future generations. Also if you want to learn more about recycling benefits copy and paste this link into your search bar:https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/us-recycling-system#:~:text=For%20the%20environment%2C%20recycling%3A,and%20process%20new%20raw%20materials.

I completely agree with your statement and ideas. Plastics are causing a detrimental effect on Earth’s oceans and it is a massive problem. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, scientists estimated that there was 8 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean during 2010. This was over a decade ago and the plastic problem is only getting worse. Plastics all around are terrible for the environment. The production of plastic is very bad as it causes pollution. Plastics stick around for decades or even centuries. They created chemicals that harm the animals too. Plastics end up in the ocean and this created the huge Pacific Garbage Patch. To prevent the situation from getting worse, there are multiple solutions that could help. Nothing will completely reverse the effects of plastic but they can help to ensure we have a world to live in for the future generations. The solutions go hand in hand and work together. Alone, they are slightly effective but together they can help a lot. The first step is repurposing many of the plastics that are already created. You can use plastics for different things and finding new purposes can help to ensure they don’t end up in the ocean. Stopping the production of plastic is very important. If we reuse and repurpose plastics but continue making them, it won’t change anything. 380 million tons of plastic are produced every single year and half of the plastics are single use. We use these plastics for a few moments but they will stay on this Earth for multiple centuries. This is terrible for the environment and pollution. One alternative that people are experimenting with is mycelium. Mycelium is a mushroom and people are engineering it to be used as an alternative for packaging that is compostable. You can even use it as a fertilizer after using it. These ideas are great but there is one huge problem still. That is to convince everyone to switch to these ideas of reusing and changing the status quo of plastic production. If we teach the youth about reusing and repurposing, we can create individuals who can learn how to take care of their damaged planet. In conclusion, reusing and repurposing helps the planet a lot but we need to stop the production of plastics with alternatives so that reusing and repurposing has a bigger impact on the plastic situation on Earth.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/m … ocean.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/17/world/pl … d%20Hawaii.

I agree with you completely, things always end up in the sea, but what can you improve at the moment and what do you think you can change about it as an individual

Agreed. In addition to the hazard listed above, indigestible plastic filling the stomachs of dead animals, wildlife can become tangled in old fishing nets or other hazardous garbage. Less obvious, though, are the toxins that plastic leaches into the ocean. As they’re broken down (slowly) and decomposed by the rain and sun, toxic chemicals are released into the water. Some chemicals have been linked to cell damage and inflammation, and others are associated with chemicals that impact human fertility. Aside from the environmental damage this causes, if we eat fish that has been contaminated with these toxins, it’s possible that they could affect us too. That’s another reason why it’s important to recycle and prevent more plastic from reaching the ocean.

https://maritime-executive.com/editoria … usly-known
https://www.acs.org/pressroom/newsrelea … -says.html

I agree, recycling should be mandatory rather than a choice. This would limit the amount of pollution in today's world

Hi AshleeDeBruyn, I completely agree with your idea that many items found in the ocean, such as plastic, should be recycled to reduce the environmental damage it causes. Recycling not only helps with lowering the amount of plastic pollution in the oceans but also maintains resources and energy. It's a win-win for the environment and the economy.

I definitely agree that we should recycle more in order to lower the amount of waste in our environment. This is exactly what makes it so sad that many people don’t care about recycling. They believe that recycling will not have an impact, but they don’t look into it to see that it actually does.

I totally agree! As a society, we have normalized being so wasteful of our belongings, resources, and everything we use in our daily life. Single use plastics have become such a large issue that is affecting our environment, from our oceans as you mentioned, to our forests and even your local park. Each individual person needs to step up and take action for their own wastefulness. Invest in reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags, etc. Recycle what you can. Research your area's recycling laws and make sure you bring everything to the right place instead of just tossing it in your recycling bin. Without that research, you may end up thinking you recycled something, but it just ends up in a landfill anyways because it wasn't recycled properly. Re-purpose things to make them last longer and be used more.
There are steps that everyone can take to help save the environment. If enough people step up, we will begin to see our planet healing.

Yes i very agree with this because we need to care more about the enviorment because we are damaging it very bad and that is not good for the future.

I definitely agree with this post. Recycling and reusing is super important on earth, it’d not only help our environment but our economy too. As a society, we consume lots of plastic waste and other materials which land into landfills and our ocean. Recycling and reusing can help ourselves, the community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. It reduces greenhouse gases and prevents more pollution. Reusing allows products to be used to its fullest extent. It’s great that we can recycle materials and reuse them to turn them into new products again, this will reduce waste. Donating also reduces waste and it allows people who can’t afford brand new items to receive what they need.

Sources: https://www.epa.gov/recycle

Now obviously I'm not the most qualified person to be talking about this but I think in many respects we have been lied to about recycling, not just by greenwashing on the corporate end but the federal agencies and global recycling industries.  We as citizens are expected to go through an absurdly long process just to handle our recyclables and quite frankly I can't help but feel like it's because they don't actually want us to recycle (in other words recycling isn't good for the economy because it's not profitable).  Only 6% of plastic waste actually gets reused in products because apparently if it's not cleaned and dried properly it just can't be used, but of course they aren't clear enough about relaying that information to the public.  Like why should that be our responsibility, you have the money and resources to do it yourself as a public service or at least properly educate people on how they can genuinely contribute without useless 5 minute crafts like "using milk jugs to make watering cans".  It just doesn't make sense.

source: https://phys.org/news/2022-05-plastic-recycled.html

Recycling is beneficial for the environment, economy, and communities. Recycling protects and conserves natural resources, prevents pollution in the ocean, decreases greenhouse gases by lowering the process of raw materials, and reduces the total amount of waste being sent to landfills. Recycling can affect the economy by conserving energy and supporting the creation of jobs in recycling and manufacturing industries in the U.S. Roughly 11 million metric tons of waste are in the ocean globally each year. This pollutes the marine environments, including shorelines, beaches, and the water surface. Plastic is a material that cannot be broken down truly, but it breaks into very miniature pieces. If the microplastics end up in the ocean, marine species ingest them. Studies show that many animals have plastic in their digestive tracts. The recycling process is categorized into three sections: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Humans can reduce waste by avoiding unnecessary plastic, using reusable items, and using plastic alternatives. Recycling reduces the amount of pollution that harms our environment. 

https://www.stewardship-foundation.org/ … _UQAvD_BwE

https://lnt.org/the-dos-and-donts-of-re … -IQAvD_BwE

People usually underestimate the importance of recycling. Although it may seem like there is little effect, recycling can actually reduce environmental impacts by up to 50%. This is because it reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases by not processing new raw materials as often. Reusing items/materials you already have for other purposes also lowers the amount of trash ended up in landfills. In landfills, gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere, causing further damage. By putting in the effort to recycle, we can lessen our impact on the environment.

https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/ … 0materials.

Recycling can be useful but doing so can also release greenhouse gases and effect the planet negatively.

Reuse and Repurpose is recycling. This is good because instead of adding to the garbage dumps we can re-use junk and keep reusing it. This is good because if we keep just throwing stuff away then our oceans will keep being dirty and the beaches will also be dirty and thats not good because sea creatures die by choking on stuff.

If you never bought anything that you didn’t really need to use or never wanted in the first place it would reduce your purchases by 73% according to a survey done by Slickdeals. The survey says 73% of purchases are unplanned meaning if we just planned out our purchases just a bit more we could easily reduce that number by 40-50%.  How does this affect your carbon footprint, not buying saves from pollution from getting these raw materials to market in the first place.

If you never bought anything that you didn’t really need to use or never wanted in the first place it would reduce your purchases by 73% according to a survey done by Slickdeals. The survey says 73% of purchases are unplanned meaning if we just planned out our purchases just a bit more we could easily reduce that number by 40-50%.  How does this affect your carbon footprint, not buying saves from pollution from getting these raw materials to market in the first place.

2,120,000,000 tons of waste are dumped each year (The World Counts). Trash is filling the ocean, covering beaches, and piling up on the side of roads and in nature reserves. Our planet cannot sustain this type of waste production. If we don’t change soon, trash will build up, filling streets contaminating water, and possibly making some places unlivable. Not everything needs to just be used once, in fact, most things should not be used just once. When you drink a plastic water bottle, you can refill it instead of getting a new one, you can use bags multiple times, you can use the front and back of paper, among other things. My point is, get as much out of everything you use as you can. When you do get rid of something however, recycle it. You can recycle any and all possible metals, plastics, paper, and other materials and buy things that are made from recycled materials to reduce what waste reaches the dump.
Source:The World Counts. www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/waste/global-waste-problem.

Recycling and reusing are important for many reasons. Not only does it benefit us, but it also benefits the climate and environment. For example, it makes it so we do not need to use and collect as many resources. If we keep using old thing instead of new thing every time, we do something then, we will use the same resources and not need new ones. Reducing the need of producing new things means the less greenhouses gases that are being emitted from manufactures. Recycling and reusing also reduces waste in landfills. This all around is a good thing, because landfills are harmful to the environment such as infecting soil and overall destroying the environment. Overall recycling and reusing is important, because it reduces that amount of emissions from manufactures, and reduces waste in landfills,
https://accessep.com.au/5-environmental … recycling/

Why should we look into recycling? Why should we contribute? These are questions that some people may ask because they don’t know the benefits of recycling or they don’t know the harm in NOT recycling. The recycling system in the U.S sends about 70% of its waste into landfills. Part of this is because people don’t actually realize how harmful not recycling is and how much you can do by just contributing a little bit.
We all need resources like water, timber, and minerals, those are just a few examples. We want to conserve these resources and that is one of the benefits of recycling. Could you imagine living a life where water isn’t a resource you couldn’t get easily. There’s more to it than just helping the earth and  saving resources, there are a lot of people in the country who don’t have jobs and by making recycling a bigger thing this could open up even more jobs in the recycling industry. If we realize how much we can stop and open our eyes to these things it would benefit so many people. We just need to sit and think about it, and add actions to our words.

https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/us- … ngBenefits
https://www2.uwstout.edu/content/rs/2007/Recycling.pdf

We should try and contain excess carbon somewhere instead of launching it into the atmosphere. I propose having it collected and repurposed into a carbon metal for construction projects like schools.

We all know that recycling is good for the environment, but what exactly is it that makes it better? First off, it produces less CO2. In 2008 alone, we saved the same amount of CO2 as 1 million flights would cost, just through recycling. Many people believe that recycling will not do anything, but that is not true. Recycling about 15 tons of recyclable material is almost equivalent to taking 3.5 million cars off of the road, which sounds like a really good improvement.

I agree with what you are saying. I never really thought in depth about why we recycle. I just did it because everyone around me told me to. With your insights, you have helped me opened my eyes to the importance of recycling all that we can. Producing less carbon dioxide (CO2) is always better, especially considering that burning fossil fuels produces a ton of CO2 that is then released into the atmosphere, the ocean, and plants. In my opinion, recycling that 15 tons of material is incredibly helpful. I hope that more and more people will continue or start to recycle their recyclable materials while they are still alive.

As you said, “In 2008 alone, we saved the same amount of CO2 as 1 million flights would cost, just through recycling.”

If that is just in one year alone, imagine what we could do if even more people recycled. Imagine if we recycled more saw those results or better every year!

Water and air pollution are all large problems due to recycling. We can all recycle at home and solve this large problem even though it sounds like very little, it can help a lot. By recycling paper, air pollution can be reduced by 75%. Recycling plastic bottles can reduce water pollution to about 80% by 2040.

Many times, when something stops working or is no longer functional to the owner, it will be thrown out. However, what if we stopped looking at it as what it used to be, and started looking at it as what it could be? Old clothes, if to tattered to be donated could be turned into a stuffed animal. Used paper could be used as origami. Even plastic can be turned into beautiful flowers. Museums all over the world hold some incredible works made completely from trash. Plastic collected from ocean have been used to make paintings and scrap metal from dumps have been made to make sculptures. Next time before you throw something out, look at it from a different perspective.

Reusing and repurposing represent sustainable practices that not only reduce waste but also promote resource efficiency. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, titled "The New Plastics Economy," reusing and repurposing materials and products can help minimize the environmental impact of our consumption patterns. By extending the lifespan of items, be it through repair, refurbishment, or creative adaptation, we can significantly reduce the demand for new resources and limit the harmful effects of waste disposal. These practices not only conserve valuable resources but also encourage innovative thinking and foster a culture of mindful consumption, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.

Recycling and reusing has always been important, but right now it is necessary for us to do so. Over the years, global warming and climate change have been happening very quickly which has been affecting our planet in some negative ways. So, it is important that we lower our carbon foot prints and learn to reuse our clothes, electronics and machines. Today more than 10% of CO2 emissions come from the making of clothing, thats more than carbon being emitted than international flights and shipping combined. The clothing industry also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tons of plastic being produced each year.If we just change some habits of ours, for example switching from buying new clothes, you should consider thrift shopping. This is a great way to get the things you need, for cheaper and it doesn't put any more CO2 in the air from those products.

The links i found for this data are here:
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022 … #xj4y7vzkg

Thrift shopping and buying used clothes is often looked down upon but honestly they are a very good place to buy clothes. My family personally often buys a lot of our clothes, especially for costumes, from thrift stores. As well as that thrift stores have the added benefit of making clothes more affordable.

In the United States alone, around 281 million tires are thrown out each year. This pollution of rubber not only harms in its physical form but also as it degrades into microplastics it seeps into watersheds and eventually into organism causing health damages and possible death. Tires themselves are often thrown into landfills where they can often catch on fire causing air pollution or just take up large amounts of space that could have been something beneficial. What can we do to stop this or possibly reuse or recycle tires?

A big problem that I have noticed when going shopping around various stores, is the amount of packaging used for smaller things. If you have ever been to a tech store, like best buy, the smallest things, like a bluetooth dongle will have a huge piece of cardboard with text on it compared to the small electronic. Amazon also has this problem, most of the time the boxes will be almost twice as big as the thing shipped inside of it.

I absolutely agree, it is ridiculous that so many tiny things come in such huge packages. So much of what we get in the mail or at the store has a lot of unnecessary garbage attached to it that we just end up throwing away.

How can we reuse and repurpose more paper at school instead of using new paper each time?

You could try to write smaller or erase your work.

Thrift shopping is a overlooked way to decrease your carbon footprint, since it effects energy consumption, air pollution, landfill and oceans. The average person in America throws away 60-80 pounds of clothing throughout their lifetime, thrift shopping allows for all those clothes to be used again instead of ending up in landfills. Also, many textile do not decompose in water, so when clothing is discarded, ending up in oceans, it stays there for a long period of time hurting the animals and plants around it. The fashion industry accounts for 10% of the worlds carbon emissions, so when clothing is reused at higher and higher rates, the necessity for pumping out so much clothing begins lessen.

https://www.swiftfit.net/blog/sustainab … to%20waste.

This is a great point. Even reusing old textiles for rags is better than sending them to a landfill. I've recently seen some companies that offer textile recycling; I'd be interested to find out if they're legitimate.

One of the easiest and well-known ways of helping the environment is recycling.. but that's far from the first step! Recycling is often the last step in a process we all can take part in that will reduce our carbon footprint as a whole. First off is reducing: by reducing the amount of materials used we can cut back on waste, an example being writing on both sides of a notebook or keeping a handkerchief to dry your hands instead of using paper towels. Second is reusing; we have the chance to reuse countless things in our day to day lives, from water bottles to tins and much more. By reusing something instead of throwing it away, we again shorten the waste produced from it where we finally end up at recycling.

By reducing and reusing we can create a larger impact in helping to repair our world by lowering our footprint.

Further reading: ( https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … you-can-do )

Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater? Did you also know that the fashion industry produces more carbon emissions than the airline and maritime industries combined?  The environment cost of producing and distributing new clothing is too high and there is a better way that is becoming more popular with young people. This generation has been buying more secondhand clothing like in thrift stores and online websites, which is a great option not only for the environment but also to get nice clothes for cheaper. For example, I sell my used clothes on sites like Depop as a way to reduce my carbon footprint and also make some extra money. There are even luxury second hand clothing stores for people who like labels like Chanel and Gucci. This trend of secondhand clothing is increasing and it should continue to grow with the younger generation making it more common. Even if you buy just one pair of used jeans instead of new, you will save the one kilogram of cotton used to produce a pair of jeans, which can use 7,500 to 10,000 liters of water. That’s the amount a person would drink over 10 years.
Sources:
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboo … ent-172719
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/ … stainable/

In America alone, 11.3 tons of clothing are thrown away every year and about 10% of Earth's total carbon dioxide output comes from the clothing industry. Because of synthetic fibers, clothing waste has an even more detrimental affect to the environment because they are made from petroleum which is crude oil and takes lots of energy and resources just to extract from the ground. Waste from clothing also contributes to the giant trash piles in the ocean and pollute the land. One way we could combat all this waste is by buying second-hand clothes instead of supporting and creating supply and demand for new, cheap clothing, (aka "fast fashion.) This new, cheap clothing is called "fast fashion" because these pieces don't last you very long because they were made poorly and only with the intent to make money. When supporting second-hand shopping and hand-me-downs, it's keeping perfectly good pieces in rotation in the market without have to use energy and money to create a whole new piece of clothing. Not only that, thrifting is usually more inexpensive and affordable. You could find unique, cute clothes that won't be thrown away in a few months.
https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.or … e-fashion/
https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/envir … cinerators.

Reusing and repurposing are practices that have been around for centuries, but they have taken on renewed importance in the face of growing environmental concerns. By adopting these practices, we can reduce our reliance on finite resources and minimize the negative impact of our consumption on the planet. Reusing products and materials can be as simple as repairing and refurbishing them instead of throwing them away, or finding new uses for items that might otherwise end up in a landfill. The concept of repurposing involves taking materials and transforming them into something new and useful, such as using old clothing to create quilts or as towels or even repurposing shipping containers as housing. These practices can not only help us to save money, but also stimulate local economies by creating new jobs and business opportunities. By encouraging a culture of creativity and innovation, we can find new solutions to the environmental challenges we face and pave the way towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
https://www.thespruce.com/the-benefits- … ms-4164656

Is there clothes that you have in your house that you don’t like or wear anymore? You should donate it to second hand shops such as goodwill and Salvation Army. Lots of the time your clothes can get more use of them and by donating them it leads to less fabric in landfills which benefits our environment so it has multiple beneficial factors.. Thrifting is such an easy way to lower your carbon footprint and buy things for cheaper in case you can’t afford to spend lots of money on clothing.

Yes, I agree. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, according to https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/featu … o-ambiente. If you have extra clothes from your child, or you grew out of clothes, you can give those clothes a second life by giving them to a younger sibling, cousin or nephew or niece. Also, you can donate these items to goodwill or salvation army. Also, you can buy your clothes at thrift stores, or at garage sales to reduce your carbon footprint. Together, we as a community can help prevent global warming and the rising carbon emissions.

In particular, the fast-fashion industry is a significant source of pollution and climate change. The estimated annual carbon dioxide emissions from the global fashion industry are expected to rise to 1.2 billion tons. The majority of fast fashion is made in factories in developing countries that are frequently powered by coal and have very flexible environmental regulations. Additionally, about 49% of fast fashion is made from synthetic materials made from oils and fossil fuels. Although the plastic in our clothing might not seem to be a big problem at first, studies show that 35% of all microplastics in the world come from human clothing. When we wash our clothes, these microplastics degrade, enter waterways, and cause irreversible plastic pollution in the oceans. Only about 10% of our clothing is recycled completely, with the remainder ending up in landfills or decomposing into microplastic pollution.

Avoiding the unsustainable fast-fashion that dominates the clothing industry and choosing second-hand or sustainably made clothing are two of the best ways we can lessen our impact. When buying used is not an option, investing in high-quality clothing that lasts a long time without needing to be replaced can also significantly lessen our overall impact. Keep an eye out for companies that are moving in the right direction.

https://www.goclimate.com/blog/the-carb … f-clothes/

Reducing the amount of plastic and non-recyclable materials in the environment is crucial. In 2021 it was reported that over 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year and more than 14 million tons of that plastic end up in the ocean each year. This is a huge problem for marine life and life in general because animals, thinking it’s food, will consume the plastic and die. There are many different ways that people can help reduce the amount of trash that ends up in the ocean and other ecosystems. One easy way to reuse plastic is to make eco-bricks. Eco-bricks are essentially plastic bottles filled to the brim with more plastic. You can make them by finding trash on the beach and stuffing that trash into a used plastic water bottle. After they are made, eco-bricks can be used to build things such as play parks, furniture, and other structures. They can also act as insulators in homes because of their tightly packed insulating plastics. Another effective method to reuse is to cut up old clothes or fabric and transform them into tote bags that can be used instead of plastic bags. This not only minimizes waste but also allows you to reuse your old clothes. Lastly, if you come across items that are in good condition but you no longer need them and are unsure how to repurpose them, consider donating them to charitable organizations. This is a great way to give back to your community while also being mindful of the environment. Overall, even though recycling is a positive way to lessen the amount of waste on our planet, reusing materials is an even more effective approach to conserving resources and reducing pollution. So instead of discarding items, consider finding ways to reuse them.

Sources:
https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-b … nd%20death.
https://ecobricks.org/en/build.php
https://www.azocleantech.com/article.as … 20plastics.

Did you know that 75% of waste that is thrown away is repurposable? On average, Americans throw away about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage each year. We only recycle about 67.2 million tons of a possible 267.8 million tons. Recognizing the value of recycling requires us to consider its position within our larger waste management procedures. Recycling is the third and last step in the three Rs approach of trash management (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This indicates that, even while recycling is crucial to how we manage trash today, we should give material reduction and reuse priority. The key to assisting the recycling sector in operating more effectively and efficiently is to lessen the pressure on it. https://www.rts.com/blog/recycling. I learned that some everyday things that can be recycled include Plastic Bottles & Containers, Clean and dry containers, Food & Beverage Cans, Paper, Flattened, Cardboard & Paperboard, Food & Beverage Containers, Glass Bottles & Containers.
https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101. Another great way to help the environment through reusing is thrift shopping. Thrift shopping is a great way to have clothes get used by many people throughout the lifetime of the clothing. A way that you can thrift from the comfort of your home is through a site called thredUp. According to a study by Green Story, a thrifted handbag reportedly spares even more with 267 pounds of carbon emissions savings compared to buying new. https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/. There are many things that you can do to help the fight against climate change, and reusing and repurposing are one of the easiest ways to start.

There are so many times when you get plastic containers or glass jars from things you buy and whenever you are done with them you just throw them in the garbage or recycling. Instead of throwing them out, you should be reusing them to eliminate waste. There are so many other things that they can be used for, like plastic containers can be used to keep leftovers in and glass jars can be used to organise things. Before you throw things out you should think about whether or not you can use it for something else first.

This is such a great idea! You can always find interasting ways to reuse plastic contaniers and glass jars. For example you can always use glass jars for expresing your artistic soul. You can paint on them with acrylic paint, pour colured sand in them etc. Plastic containers can make great toys for little kids. They are improvised pots and pans for playing chef. One thing you can also reuse and which is making a lot of damage to the enviroment are plastic bags. You can use one more then once to go shoping.

To extend the “lives” of the items that we buy and use, and their packaging as well, we can:

-make laundry detergent from soap slivers by mashing them together

-reduce food waste by composting food scraps, and donating unused food to food banks or shelters

-buy products made with recycled content or that have minimal packaging. This can help reduce the demand for new materials and save energy and resources

-can turn broken jewelry into Christmas ornaments

- use plastic bottles for garden

Recycle paper after using it in school and at home.

Paper is trees so when we have fresh virgin paper in school and use one side then throw it in the trash that’s not good. When your in school if you use paper try to use both sides than recycle the paper. Recycle the paper can help the enviorment a lot, recycling paper can help because it can be repurposed and reused. repurposing paper and getting repurposed paper helps trees stop being cut down which is really good because trees produce oxygen and as you know we breath oxygen.

I agree that we should definitely recycle paper more. I know lots of people who only write on one side of the paper in their notebooks, not only do they go through notebooks faster they are wasting half of that notebook because they are only using one side of the paper. I think that another thing we could do is just not use paper as much unless you need to because if everything is on the iPad your not wasting paper. Then there’s the fact that if/when we use paper we should make sure we recycle it especially if we only use one side of it because that’s just being really wasteful and not very thoughtful.

I agree with this because using paper once and only on one side then throwing it away without thinking will cause people to start cutting down trees to produce more paper. This is extremely wasteful and shows that people don’t think or don’t know how this can affect our environment and ourselves since trees produce the oxygen that we need to breathe.

I agree with this, because wasting paper harms both the environment and people. Every year, many trees are cut down to produce paper, thus reducing the amount of oxygen necessary for a healthy life. Therefore, instead of throwing away the paper after writing on one of its pages, we can write on both sides and as a helper we can use various applications on the phone or tablet to take notes. Thus, technology becomes a friend of the environment.

The carbon footprint of an electric car depends on several factors, such as the source of the electricity used to charge the car, the manufacturing process of the car, and the disposal or recycling of its battery at the end of its life.

If an electric car is charged using electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydro power, then its carbon footprint is practically zero. However, if the electricity comes from fossil fuel power plants, the carbon footprint of an electric car is higher, but still lower than a gasoline car.

Regarding manufacturing, the production of electric car batteries has a higher carbon footprint than the production of gasoline car engines. However, this impact can be offset over time as electric cars emit fewer emissions while in use.

The disposal or recycling of electric car batteries can also have an environmental impact, but most batteries are designed to be recycled and reused, reducing their carbon footprint.

The materials used in electric car batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, are mined from the earth, and their extraction can cause environmental damage, including water pollution, soil degradation, and habitat destruction. Additionally, the processing of these materials requires energy, and the production of the battery components and the battery itself also requires significant energy inputs.

In conclusion, it is crucial for the faith of the electric cars' future that their batteries are reused and recycled, and the energy produced to fuel them comes from 100% green sources.

I’ve always considered how important it is to reuse and repurpose. As I entered this year as curious as any freshman would be, I made the decision to join many clubs. One of many was Windplanners, which is an interactive environmental club. Windplanners hasn’t only provided me the opportunity to learn more as an individual, but to also teach an opportunity to teach my community about. Reusing and Repurposing is a simple and easy solution to reducing carbon footprints, that anyone can participate in. With reusing and repurposing we would reduce the amount of waste going into landfills.

Donating your clothes to second-hand stores is a great way to make sure they don’t go to waste and just become another piece of trash within our environment while saving others money.

I agree, but I think buying more clothes second hand would be a more effective way of preventing your carbon footprint. Buying from more thrift stores, upcycled stores, and higher end second hand stores would be a great and fun way of lowering your carbon footprint.

I feel that in many ways schools play a big part in the carbon emissions that are going into our atmosphere. I understand that schools have many needs seeing as there are many students and a large building to keep up with, but there are smaller ways we can reduce the amount of carbon emissions. Some things schools could do may be to use recycled paper, or putting designated scrap paper bins in classrooms for students to use. I know that when i’m jotting down notes really quickly, i usually wouldn’t need a perfectly new piece of paper. Our school already does this, but composting can be really impactful too.

Reuse everything you can until you cant use it anymore.

Great idea maya.

I agree with you barlo

You should reuse materials till they have no use because it will help carbon emissions go down by a lot, using materials more than once will help you not buy as many materials and savor money as well as help your carbon footprint. Say you buy a glass bottle with lemonade in it, instead of throwing it out after drinking it wash it out and use it again now you have an extra glass you can use and can use as a water bottle instead of having to buy another bottle every time your thirsty.

Reducing and reusing things is crucial in order to keep a healthy environment. When waste builds up, landfills build up, which is terrible for our ecosystem. This is one of the ways the air is polluted, effecting us and all living things around us. When the amount of energy and natural resources is reduced, manufacturing would also be reduced. Waste management can be the first step to helping the environment improve.

landfills are a huge problem. They don't have oxygen to break up the amount of plastic and waste built up. Food waste produces methane when it's in a landfill and that creates less space for oxygen. One way we can prevent this is to compost food waste. Also, using a reusable water bottle will put less plastic into landfills. Reusing glass and cans and not buying single-use plastic will reduce the amount of carbon being released into our environment.

Landfills have always seemed to be a problem with no solutions. The reason is that we don’t combine our effort enough to recycle and reuse. Educating people about the damages that landfills cause and encouraging them to repurpose majorities of material is something that needs to be expanded upon. This is because landfills are places where trash and reusable materials are throw away despite further use of them. Then, in the landfills, which are by the way a destruction of soil and harm to the underground ecosystems, the is no space for oxygen to compost the waste inside. This create methane that is released from the landfill into the atmosphere, which slowly increases the global warming process which we are fighting currently. Perhaps the only way of preventing your trash from creating methane is by not making it trash and reusing it. Bottles, plastic materials, and styrofoam are all things that can be recycled or repurposed. Help protect the very earth that we live on.

People buy a lot of technology that can become out-of-date quickly. It’s better if people use proper trade-in programs or properly recycle their devices when they are not going to be using them anymore. This allows for many materials inside to be reused in the future which means that less minerals overall will need to be mined fresh and the technology industry can keep going as is. There are many proper ways to recycle tech and more people should be taking advantage of them.

Reusing can help reduce the greenhouse effect. When people are always throwing away things such as straws and water bottles, it's worsening the effects of the greenhouse effect. But when you reuse these things, this can help the environment a lot and can prevent pollution. The amount on energy and natural resources needed to produce the raw materials and manufacture the products that are needed.

People can reuse many household items after they are no longer needed for their primary use. For example, plastic water bottles can always be refilled at any nearby water fountain. Another example is using things like empty paper towel rolls for assorted crafts or art. Any paper/cardboard product and sometimes even dryer lint makes for good kindling for a fire.

I agree with this because when we do not reuse items, more are produced releasing more carbon into our atmosphere. It is fairly easy to reuse. Some easy ways you can start now are like donating old clothes to thrift shops and reusing plastic bags and waste items. It is for sure true about what you said , how it takes a lot of materials and energy to make products. This dose not even include transportation and shipping. Overall this is a great point and I agree entirely!

I also agree 'cause we're in a world today who consumes too much. Lots of people say that they reuse but are they really doing this ? Did you know that we can wear our sweats, our pulls-over and our jeans over 10 times between each washing ? This could be a good start 'cause lots of people say that's disgusting to wear clothes more than 3 times but, did they tought just one time to the impact on the planet that this can cause ? And more, that's not dirty, don't listen to people judgement. Also, We can use pasta water for watering plants. That's not binding We just need to think of keeping this juice.

I agree with all these points. A lot of things in today’s society are one time use, like individually wrapped candies, bars, or gummies. There’s so much packaging as well, so it’s really good to buy either in bulk or less individually wrapped things. Also, trying to get things in containers that you can reuse - like metal, glass, or hard plastic - can be really good because then not only are you saving it, but you are using it to hold something else. I also think that this is something that people talk about a lot, but don’t always do it. There are so many ways to use different things that would normally be thrown out. However, I do think it’s important that the things you do keep are useful to you and don’t just sit around.

Mikilvægt er að flokka og endurnýja allt sem að við getum.

Ég er sammála þér. það þarf að flokka mun betur í skólum t.d. Það er gott að það er að koma auka tunna í Árborg.

reuse glass jars

reuse glass jars

I personally think that reusing an item THEN recycling it is a much better alternative than recycling it directly. This way, we can save up money! For example, we won't have to buy a bottle every day, we just fill the one we have with water.

I totally agree. Plastic bottles are good for much more than one use. Additionally, there are many other ways to reuse plastic bottles. For example, there are tons of neat craft ideas with them online. I remember when I was younger, I used to go through the trash and recycling in my house for some old plastic to tinker around with. This was a fun way for me to get creative and reduce single-use plastic waste.

I agree. Reusing an item THEN recycling is much better. For example a jar. You can use jars to decorate your room, you can use jars to store items, etc. There are other examples too such as plastic bags, old clothing, etc. You can craft a LOT of stuff out of these items. Plus, You can save a lot of money!

I totally agree, but I think you should try to use as little as possible and avoid buying wasteful things. For most of us, things like plastic bottles are completely unnecessary, and there are ways to reduce plastic use in almost everything we buy. You could buy things that are packaged in paper or not packaged at all. Plastic that already exists will never just go away in our lifetimes, so the only way to really get rid of it is to prevent it from being created in the first place.

I agree with you 100%. Many things that are directly being recycled can be used much more before being recycled allowing for much better efficiency and conservation of resources. This way we would also have to buy less as we are reusing more allowing for production to be slowed down.

I agree, reusing is objectively better than recycling something as a whole.

Reusing then recycling is a very good idea to prevent more waste of material, while still recycling material for different uses.

At first when I saw your post, I wondered where this idea would actually work in real life. Then I thought about clothes! Clothes are the best example of reusing THEN recycling. Once a pair of jeans don't fit anymore, you could reuse them and turn the fabric into pillows or scrap fabric for arts and crafts. Once that craft is worn out, THEN you should recycle it.

I agree with your idea, as a plastic bottle can be reused more than once and can create more than its intended purpose. For example, it could be a plant holder, water distributor, paint cup, flower pot and so much more. It all depends on the usage and efficiency

I agree with your idea, as a plastic bottle can be reused more than once and can create more than its intended purpose. For example, it could be a plant holder, water distributor, paint cup, flower pot and so much more. It all depends on the usage and efficiency

I also believe in the importance of using every item to its last thread or possibility of being mended, so that we can get incomparable longevity out of all of our resources.

yes. adding an extra step of reusing something first before recycling would definitly help, an example of this would be reusing a plastic water bottle before recycling it.

I agree, making use of things that can be repurposed is something that should be practiced more. Starting off with being more conscious of the "single-use" items we use. Even plastic water bottles can be refilled, or many plastics and recycled things can be used for crafts and art projects. Jars can be paint brush holders or cups to drink out of. There are plenty of examples online but I overall this this is a good idea.

I agree. If you reduce then recycle instead of recycling directly will be much better for the environment. Reusing water bottles and take out containers are ways to do so instead of treating it as one use.

I agree. If you reduce then recycle instead of recycling directly will be much better for the environment. Reusing water bottles and take out containers are ways to do so instead of treating it as one use.

Camellia, I agree, and I wish that more people would recycle, it might take 30 seconds more than just chucking it into the garbage but in the long term it's a great decision to make. Nowadays recycling has opened up so much and more materials are allowed which is great. And here in Canada when we go to a 'Return it Depot' we will receive money back for the amount of bottle cans, glass bottles, and etc, which can be a great way of encouragement for people to recycle.

Schools generate about 562,442 tons of trash each year in California. Recycling can help reduce the amount of waste we produce. We can implement recycling through schools by providing easy access to it. This can be done by having one bin for cans and another bin for other waste. Should we recycle in schools to help reduce our carbon footprint?

I think that's a great idea! When I was in grade 7, a couple of my friends and I decided that we wanted to have a recycling program for the soft plastics in our school. We organized to put a bin in every class for people to put their soft plastics and we would come and empty out the bins every Friday. We found somewhere in our neighbourhood who already had a program for recycling soft plastics and they were willing to take ours and do all the rest of the work. I am in high school now but, I believe that they still have this routine. I was thinking that it could be a good thing to add to the school I am at now, but it is a much larger school and would be much more difficult of a task.

Reusing and Repurposing are two things we can do to reduce our carbon footprints. An example of how we can reuse would be to use a reusable water bottle rather then buying single use plastic ones . Instead of buying a paper or plastic bag at the grocery store, start bringing your own reusable bag. Donating your old clothes or buying someone else's clothes is another way we can reuse. You can repurpose your old clothes or even change up some of the new clothes that you thrift. All of these are examples of ways we can reuse and repurpose things to prevent more waste in our environment.

it's important to use old containers and bags as much as possible. for my family we use take out containers as much a we can by using them to store food or pens ext. if we get a plastic bag from a store we will keep it and use it as a garbage bag repurposing it be for it gets tossed out. when i get ride of cloth i give them to a thrift store to not be wasted.

I reuse many things. My family doesn’t spend a lot of money at once normally we save then spend. Reusing is just something that I feel is normal. For example I’ve always reuse jars to drink out of or find away to make decorations for my room. I do like shopping but I try to work on not doing impulse buying. For the longest time I would say I did not have “style” since I wore my fathers old t-shirts that he didn’t wear anymore for acouple years. (I still sometimes do now) but that’s another way that I definitely saved money. And whenever I do art projects if I’m cutting out, coloring or whatever I do try very much to use every bit of the paper or if I don’t I put it away til I need it for something else

I can relate to this in many ways because my family also does not like to spend money if they don't have too. I always think instead of buying new clothes I could see if I have clothes that are in still good condition or ones that I haven't taken the tag off yet. In addition, I love to get hand me downs from older cousins and family members because it helps our family save money. In school I always try to reuse my tools as much as possible. For example, for math class I always reuse the paper for our quizzes and homework by using the other blank side. Also, the containers that we get from the grocery stores reusable packaging, my family uses that for our containers instead of using money to buy more containers.

I would say that my family tries to reuse most things as well. whenever we order food from restaurants we always wash the containers and reuse them. when my younger cousin was born, my older cousin and I gave him our baby clothes that were still in very good condition. we also gave him toys and stuffies that we used to play with. whenever I have clothes that I don't think I will wear them whenever i go out anymore, i would wear them at home as pajamas. at school, i would also try to use both sides of the paper, and every year if my binders and backpack are still in good condition I would just take out the paper and assignments from the previous year and reuse the binder for the next year. when we go grocery shopping and we forget to bring reusable bags, we would purchase those plastic bags but we would always reuse them as trash bags.

I can relate, my family always tries to reuse almost anything. For example, clothes that I have, that don't fit me anymore, I give to my younger brother. When my brother says the clothes that I gave him don't fit, we hand them down to my younger cousins. We have been reusing clothes this way for years. I like getting hand-me-downs and my dad has given me lots. I have received shirts, pants, sweaters, socks all from my dad. All of the clothes I've received have been in great shape and look brand new. At school, I reuse almost everything. I have pencils that I have had since third grade, a hand full of erasers from kindergarten, and packs and packs of lined paper from when my parents were at school! My family has saved lots of money reusing clothes and school materials for years. And will be doing the same for many more years to come.

I feel this is something that happens more often than you think, my family usually keeps the bags that we get from the store, both plastic, and reusable bags that can be purchased. My mom saves some jars to hold what I think is apple juice vinegar, a large amount of storing sharp metal campfire sticks, which is now used for the mesocasim. We also kept all of my backpacks and reuse them when we want to go to the beach.and we usually find furniture by looking through facebook, and if one of us does not need it anymore we sell it or remake it for one of my siblings.

We litter the world with anything that we do not need anymore, such as newspapers, glass bottles, plastic bottles, and now (more notably); masks. However, we can find better ways to get rid or reuse `without affecting

https://thehill.com/changing-america/su … heres-how/
https://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/recycle … the%20like.

Sorry, it reloaded, what I was saying was that we can make them into another thing, or the same thing. For example, newspapers can be made into berry boxes, egg cartons, paper plates, kitty litter, or other newspapers. The same can be said for paper, we can make them be the same things they were before, or they can be made as tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, or napkins. Masks are a special case because they can be in  2 of the 4 layers of roadways (granular soil), and white LED lights.

Reusing and repurposing objects helps the environment. For example, if you shop for new items and do not thrift, your carbon footprint will increase. That’s because it’s a waste, and those new items are proportionally just as valuable as the thrifted ones. Fossil fuel, which is the main source of greenhouse gases(these end up causing climate change), is used to make those new items. Avoiding buying those items means that less fossil fuel is used to supply the want of those items. Donating to thrift stores is a good way to reuse without having to reuse it. Another reason how this helps the environment is that by reusing your previous items, you’re using fewer resources. Those resources could be used for helpful purposes. The resources could’ve also stayed in nature where animals could use them to survive. Reusing and repurposing are very helpful when it comes to helping the environment.

Reusing many items in your life can be a very good thing to do in order to help lower your own carbon footprint. One way that you can do this is by reusing things such as paper, plastic, or other everyday objects by using them to do things such as create art, use for projects, and much more. Additionally, it is very important to reduce waste by turning of the light when you leave the room, unplugging your electronic devices when they're completely charged, and by reducing the amount of time you drive your car by using more environmentally friendly means of transportation such as walking, jogging, or riding a bicycle.

I definitely agree. These are some small and simple but effective ways to lower your carbon footprint and have a create it so it becomes a habit.

I believe that a valuable way to use the products that people use their income on is use them beyond the purpose that is initially intended for the product. Before someone plans to recycle an object maybe try to see in what useful way you can try to repurpose the product before planning its disposal.

The concept of recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that are recyclable and turning them into new products. This by itself is a good concept as it helps reduce the number of products newly produced but there is a better way to use them. Plastic bottles for example can be reused or used for an entirely different purpose such as a flower pot or a cup for paint. Other items such as paper can be used for arts and crafts such as origami or paper airplanes. Packages can be reused for sending off a package or used for imaginary toys. It all depends on the creativity

It is preferable to reuse an item. Some people recycle their old paper. They rip the paper into small pieces and toss it into a bucket of water. The wet parchment is then placed on a mold, where it then is compressed, and left to dry. When the material dries, you'll have new, usable paper. This reduces the amount of paper used and, as a result, the number of trees felled in order to make the paper. This is just one example of reuse; there are many more. If something cannot be reused or has been reused too many times, it should be recycled if it is possible.

Our carbon footprint can negatively impact the environment in many different ways. It can increase climate change and air pollution, can lead to toxic acid rain, can add to ocean acidification, and increases the melting of icebergs and glaciers. In order to prevent or slow these things from happening, we can reduce the amount of light, transportation, and electricity usage. We can reuse papers, and everyday objects, and we can recycle more of what we know should be recycled, like cans and bottles.

If everyone on earth recycled then it would reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses significantly

I think as a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to see if something can be reused or repurposed  first, and if not, then result to recycling the item. In general, however, there are many ways to extend the life of things before they are tossed! For example, a plastic product that is frequently thrown away is plastic bags. However, plastic bags can be utilized in many different ways before they are tossed. Aside from simply reusing them, they can be used in projects such as creating products with single-use bags. One such example is plarn, which is a type yarn made out of plastic bags. That yarn can then be used for other projects, such as crocheted products!

Reusing and repurposing is a great way of reducing our carbon footprint, and there are many ways we can do this! To start, save any plastic water bottles or anything else that might otherwise go to waste. Then anytime you have an idea for a craft, or something else, you can repurpose it. There are also many organizations that help you do this, and you can donate your items there. The same goes for any old clothes or items you may not want anymore. One man's trash is another's treasure! Donating items to people in need is a great way of helping our community, while also repurposing things you may not need or use anymore.

Reusing something a couple times instead of throwing it into a recycle bin right away can help reduce people carbon footprint and the greenhouse gases.

I agree with you, and I think that it can also help us save energy and it reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators.

Reusing can help us save energy. It also Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change and it helps us sustain the environment for the future generations.

Plastic cannot be recycled and pollutes the environment, so we must reduce plastic consumption.

I disagree with this statement because there are types of plastic that are recyclable. Plastic does pollute our environment and also causes harm to our society by killing millions of animals per year. However, plastic is considered a staple to our environment meaning our lives would be filled with struggles without it. This is because plastic is a cheap material found in almost everything you see around. Plastic is in our economy, schools, etc. I do understand your point that we need to reduce plastic consumption, but let's become more educated about plastic and use it responsibly. This shall perfect our society.

Reduce, Reuse, and repurpose.
Reduce: to use less or fewer resources
Reuse: to use again or more than just once
repurpose: to adapt to different circumstances
Recycle: to convert into reusable resources to limit waste

To extend and increase our planet's life expectancy, we have to extend the usage of items used periodically or even daily. There are simple actions and ways to combat climate change, and reduce your carbon footprint by incorporating the following into your life:

Purchase/invest in reusable water bottles
Use paper bags provided at grocery stores for bags to collect garbage and compost
donate clothes or use them as rags for cleaning purposes
reduce your overall water consumption; shorter showers, find alternative ways to lessen your usage of dishwater
Reuse fruit or vegetable compost as FERTILIZER to add to your garden's soil

These simple yet impactful actions, can truly alter your perception and reduce your presumed carbon footprint.

Millions of plastic bottles are thrown away and end up in landfills every day. In the year 2020 alone, over twenty billion bottles were found not recycled. Anything that is made of plastic can be recycled and so it should, throwing it away is harmful to our environment and it is really easy to do so.

In many developed countries the average person produces a concerning amount of clothing waste. While it is important to by new clothing once in a while there is a way to reuse and repurpose our clothing. Thrifting could improve our environment a lot by reducing pollution caused by production of new clothes. Donating our old clothes to thrifts shops also keeps waste out of landfills. Overall thrifting is an affordable and more sustainable way of shopping for clothes.

After a year we all have leftover pages in the back of notebooks. A way to reuse your notebooks is cutting out all the old pages and using them throughout the next school year.

I've never have put much thought into this until now, that's a great idea that this world needs after carbon levels drop we need to make sure we still protect nature.

I agree! I personally use the notebook for the same subject, this way cutting old pages won't be needed al all!

I agree. Saving paper that has not been used is a great way to reduce carbon emissions because using less paper individually will reduce the amount of paper being transported overall, thereby reducing carbon emissions.Recycling paper also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions that can contribute to climate change. Also when paper is not recycled it ends up in land fills and the decomposition of paper in land fills produces methane.

As read from the title, you can infer that recycling is important in our daily lives. Some individuals however, tend to think bold about banning the use of plastic. This idea to me isn't the right approach to recycling because plastic is a significant resource in our society. Plastic is used in many ways that can benefit one's life. If you were to ban plastic, there shall not be any sufficient resource that is cheap and reliable.

Some ways we can reuse some of our products like plastic bags for basic needs like carrying stuff more than twice. We can also use reusable products for DIY or arts and crafts activities. So don’t throw away something that you know you can use again or might use again. If you do throw it away you should at least recycle it.

Recycling itself can be hard and difficult to do if the proper necessities to do so are not provided. Recycling though is very important as it helps with Global warming and the management of the world resources. Recycling can help reduce the amount of waste produced or products being wasted. It can also help with global warming by reducing the release of methane gas which would otherwise harm the environment. Overall Recycling is important for both you and the environment so recycle whenever you can.

Recycling and reusing is very beneficial not only to the environment but to us as human beings. If we don’t recycle we would have to deal with all the climate change (when we throw things away they are tend to be burned) and with the fire and smoke, not only many habitats will be destroyed, but many animals will die. If you think about it, we are the ones who are at a loss here:
   *Loss of resources
   *Loss of animal species (no food for a certain type)
   *Less trees means less fresh breathable air
Without all these things that are listed above, we would have lowered our chances of survival by a certain percentage, This is one of the reasons why you should recycle and reuse.

As simple as it may seem, reusing things until you cannot use them anymore will have a positive impact on your environment. It's so simple right? Instead of throwing away a piece of paper because you didn't like the drawing you did on it, you could keep it and use it for notes later on instead of getting a new sheet! You could also have 3-4 plastic bags in your kitchen that you continue using when you go shopping instead of taking one when you're bagging your items at the store. All these small habits that you could apply to your life would help the oceans tremendously and you don't even have to do much! Please help save the planet. Reuse and re purpose!

Repurposing a product may seem like a foolish way to save money, but it can actually save on carbon emissions. When you repurpose something you do not need to go buy something to serve the purpose of the item you have recycled or thrown away. This helps reduce emissions because it is one less product being generated.

Before throwing something away next time think, Is this reusable? If so, recycle it so it can be reused! When we reuse things we can repurpose them to make other things and help the environment. It's a win win.

Plastic, glass, paper, and so many more materials are all things that can be easily recycled! It's so simple, yet it can create a huge difference in our environment. Every plastic bag or container that gets thrown away into the trash can in your kitchen, eventually ends up in an ecosystem, killing hundreds, thousands, or millions of organisms. Our planet is suffering, because of all the things that get thrown away every day. This is our home, and we should do what we can to keep it clean! So let's try our best to reuse and recycle what we can!

always reuse! whatever you think is trash, can always turn out to be something purposeful, i think

Of course! We can reuse a bunch of items some would consider throwing away. That includes shopping bags which can be used as trash bags and leftover pages from an older notebook which we can keep writing in next year.
I'm a big fan of trading clothes, most of them can be passed through the family or through friends and they can even be donated!

Reuse and re purpose is important to the environment. They can help us prevent the global warming from getting worse.

Reuse means to use something again especially is a different way after being used. For example, when you go to the grocery store, they often provide you a bag. Every time you went to the grocery, you can use the bag or take your own to put things inside, so that you reuse the bag again and again until it is broken. The main benefit of reusing something is to prevent pollution and saves energy. It can contribute to change the global climate change and create a better environment.

Re purpose means to use something for a different purpose than the one that you used before. For example, when you have an old rain boots that is too small, it is suitable to be a pot for the plants. As long as it is not broken, you use it in a different purpose. Before it is wore in the rain, and now it is used to be the pot for the plants. The main benefit to re purpose is that people can re purpose to prevent from running out of resources. It can saves money and time to re purpose items that we used everyday, such as clothing, plastic, bottles, and more.

It is really very important to reuse plastic but also other materials from my point of view.  That's the only way we can save the planet!

Recycle

I agree because recycling can reduce pollution and it can benefit the world and also decrease the global warming situation. Since it effects the whole world, everyone should recycle things when it is needed to save the world together and make here a better place.

Recycle and Reuse is important and everyone should do it if they can.

Yes, ive seen a lot of literring in malls, roads, etc. It is a huge problem, especially for the janitors.

UwU

I agree, everyone should have the habit of recycle and reuse things.

Yeah, don’t just throw things away when you can actually reuse them.

Reusing things is very important as it causes less waste than using single use items. You can use reusable grocery bags, use to-go food containers to store food at home, and use bees wax paper instead of plastic wrap.

I agree. An easy way to help the climate a lot

Reusing things is more important than many think, if a majority of people reused products it would make a huge change in the long run. For instance, using reusable products and using plastic more than once.

yes recycling is a very good thing. everyone should do it

I agree because some things can be reuse like paper, when people write something on the first page, they should be able to write words and draw on the other page to save paper and trees.

People should have a habit of reusing stuffs.

If you are able to recycle something, make sure you recycle it because it helps use less supplies.

I agree, recycle and reuse is encourage to everyone.

I agree, we should save the world and reuse things instead of buying new things.

If your family gets take out a lot you could save those containers and use them as tupperware. There are also companies you can send certain items to that reuse them instead of throwing them in the dump.

I agree. Saving containers from takeout restaurants can be used often in your meals, and companies like Ridwell help you to reuse and repurpose more often.

I know this may sound weird, but I bring my own containers to dinner and pack my leftovers myself, so I generate fewer take out containers.

Recycling is the best way to handle plastic materials that cannot be otherwise disposed of, but the world only recycles 14% of the plastic it produces. People need to be sure to recycle plastics thaat they use.

There are many times when container and bags at given for free or for a small price. Most people just throw those away when they can be repurposed for another thing. Just those little things can save so much plastic/paper.

Things like single use grocery bags can be used as trash bags from small trash cans, or to pack shoes or wet things for travel. To-go food containers can be used instead of buying tupaware and you can use glass jars to store dry foods.

I reuse a lot of old containers that are still good and there's no problem. But there is also a big issue with using the trash as a way to save time on figuring out where something is supposed to go. I get that some people might not actually know where to throw something away, but most people should know that a plastic water bottle can be recycled.

I agree. When people throw a recyclable object in the trash they don't think it's a big deal, but with millions of people doing that a day it can add up.

I agree and i feel like people should use more reusable stuff for every day things like a water bottle that could be used for a month or more.

I also agree, I think taking the time to figure out where something is thrown away is helpful because you can pass your knowledge to others and I agree that it adds up when millions of people throw a recycle object in the trash

people need to recycle more

Spray bottles, from cleaning liquid, is a fantastic thing to reuse. It can be used for hand sanitizer, water (for plants or for artists - water colors) or even can be refilled with a different type of cleaner. The bottles should be washed well with water and soap as well.

I think we can all do this!

As a individual we can make many strides towards reusing and repurposing things. Some things like recycling, using a reusable water bottle, bringing a reusable grocery, and more can help reduce our climate footprint. If we all do these things on a daily basis our world will be a much cleaner place.

I always use a reusable water bottle during my day, I also use any extra water at the end of the day to water plants.

Use water bottles or if you drink from a plastic one reuse it a couple of times before throwing it away. These are two things I mainly do.

I totally agree. Another that I have been doing to reduce plastic consumption is to use reusable sandwich bags in my lunch instead of the plastic ones you can only use once. I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in this.

One way that each of us can work to extend the lives of things we own is by purchasing second-hand clothing as well as giving our own old clothing to thrift stores or others. Reusing clothing is a very important step toward reducing our carbon footprints as a country and eventually a world. As the attached image below from The Broadview website shows, buying used clothing increases the life of a garment by 2.2 years which inevitably reduces emissions by a whopping 73%. So if we were all to buy second-hand, the rewards would be greatly beneficial. Thrifting is also an option for those who cannot physically get out of the house to buy clothes.
There are websites and apps such as thredUP and Depop where recycled clothing can be found - that being said in order for these clothes to be shipped there are some emissions but this greatly overweighs the alternative of buying clothing new all the time. One last reason for buying second-hand is that many so-called "Fast Fashion" brands make tons of thousands of clothes that are made by children in factories in other countries, so reusing clothing will hopefully stop this sad but very real fact. Overall purchasing second-hand will greatly help to decrease emissions damaging our earth and the idea of a "throw-away society."

In the oceans theirs tons of plastic and its effecting the animals. How about instead of using plastic bottles, we use reusable bottles. This wont only help the environment but it will also save money, instead of buying a case of plastic bottles you have 1 durable bottle.

This is something I notice everyday. I’m guilty of it too. In my school cafeteria they have 5 vending machines full of plastic bottles of course with ice drinks, seltzer water, energy drinks etc. But, using your own reusable water bottles will reduce the production of plastic therefore reduce your carbon dioxide footprint. Also, I agree with you on the money part. Water is the best for you and by buying water every day you not only waste money but you waste the plastic. Not only is the production of plastic bottles impact the environment but; as you said it impacts the environment after you have drunken your drink. The plastic bottles pollute the ocean.

Whenever possible it is good to bring a reusable water bottle. The ocean and land is pilled with plastic beverage bottles. Overall the cost of the water bottle will save you money because it lasts for so much longer. Reusable water bottles are efficient, are pretty, and durable. Why wouldn’t you want to save the environment and money?

I agree. Ive seen the statistics for plastic to fish ratio and its ridiculous. I think if we just used one reusable bottle in place of who knows how many disposable bottles, i think that could be really helpful.

I agree with all of you. A reusable bottle is very useful, we can bring it with us almost everywhere, and sometimes it is thermos. In our cafeteria, you have to bring your own cup, you can't buy a platic one. I think it's a really good idea, we should try it everywhere.

These are all such great points. Every day, without realizing it, we are contributing to a larger carbon footprint. The temptation of a refreshing drink from a school vending machine often overrules trying not to purchase plastic bottles. In an article, beyond plastics, says that the numbers aren't exact, but more than half a trillion plastic bottles are sold every year, but less than 1/3 of the bottles will be recycled. I wasn't able to find an exact number, but I can only imagine that many of those bottles come from vending machines. The cost is also a huge factor, typically vending machines sell their drinks for a marginally higher number than the retail cost. By trying your hardest to stick to drinking water from a reusable bottle brought from home, you can save your money and contribute to saving the ocean and planet.

https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-she … er-bottles

Plastic will continue to have negative effects on our environment. Take plastic debris for example. Plastic debris is laced with these chemicals that are often inhaled by our marine animals. Since our marine animals are inhaling this, this can poison or injure them. Also, floating plastic waste can be a problem as well. The reasoning for this is that this waste can survive for "thousands of years" which can spread diseases throughout the oceans. This also disrupts the underwater habitats as well. The plastic buried deep underwater contributes to this factor as well. It filters harmful chemicals to get into the groundwater. Overall plastic just has a real negative effect on our environment in general and on our marine animals.

My source used: https://www.ehn.org/plastic-environment … nufactured

Plastic continues to ruin the environment and life on earth. Plastic contains different minerals and diseases that can hurt the lives of people and animals. 8.3 billion tonnes make up the earth which is a very sad thing to think about. The fact that human life could have more space to live ad breathe clean air if plastic never existed is so sad. Reducing the use of plastic will help our world better in numerous different ways. Animals will stop going extinct and the world would be able to fit more things. If we use less fossil fuel energy our environment would improve for the better

Not only do plastic water bottles negatively affect the environment, but also one's health. Plastic contains BPA which can lead to health issues. 91% of the earth's plastic bottles are not recycled which means that landfills fill up faster and take up a large amount of space on earth around human life. If there is less pollution we use less fossil-fuel energy improving our environment. Reducing our use of plastic including water bottles leads to development in many areas and buying our own reusable bottles is a step further in this development.

Instead of throwing away old clothing, you can donate it to different organizations or thrift stores. This can also be said for buying new clothing. Thrift stores are a great sustainable option. There are also apps like Depop and websites like thredUP where you can find recycled clothing. If a piece of clothing is too old/worn out to be donated, you can always use it as a cleaning rag.

Yeah, most people just throw it away when there are people who don't have clothing while we're throwing it away. How could we notify more people about this, so people actually contributed?

I think we should stop buying from shein or zara or things like that. We should start buying clothes from ecological brands or local creator. Thrifting is also a good idea, you can find pretty and cool clothes,and it'll be sustainable.  Moreover it is less expensive. We can also look for upcycling tutorial.

A better way to recycle things like bottles would be to use them for school projects, oil and you can even clean the bottles and reuse them for other liquids. They can be repurposed for so many things instead of just throwing them away.

Yes, I agree with your post. We can use bottles for many things even for refills. Great post!

Yes, we can but what most people do not realize is there are so many other things that can be recycled or reused like cardboard or paper and many other things.

I think one issue is that recycling isn’t always available to people and people aren’t aware of how easy it is to recycle! One thing that can make recycling difficult for people is access and also when you do recycle, if one piece isn’t clean in the batch of recycled products then everything will just end up in a landfill. People have to realize that if you are able to throw something away, you are able to take the time to recycle and do good for the planet if recycling is something available to you!

Hi ! I agree that you can reuse a lot of things... How can you reuse paper ??

Instead of throwing out plastic containers and bags we could reuse them to store other things around the house. Also burning trash would reduce the amount of trash that is put into landfills.

If we do recycle plastic things we can turn those things into new plastic to be used for a plethora useful everyday things.

I agree with reusing the plastic containers but burning them would create CO2 and that's not a good thing. You could probably find all sorts of tutorials on youtube or if you have enough creativity, you could create something that can help other or be useful to you.

We should start recycling plastics, glass, paper, electronics, and metals it’s better and cheaper.

Yeah I totally agree, in India there is a huge market for this where people find jobs recycling parts from old tech and everyone involved makes more money from it but it also allows less factory manufacturing because some parts are reusable and it allows less mining which is much more environmentally friendly and could stop some of the horrible electronic raw materials mining conditions for people stuck in those low pay backbreaking jobs and instead they could have a medium pay, not back breaking, safe, and mind engaging job of recycling phone or other electrical components.

I would like to share about a really cool program at my school that is carbon footprint friendly because it is a carpentry class that only uses wood destined to be thrown away and other landfill-destined materials to build furniture and bike racks and tables, for example there was a ski sale and the school program collected all the skis that a local bike shop deemed ‘useless’ and that were unsafe to sell and we made very nice ski Adirondack chairs out of skis and pallet wood. The program has also made great use of booths that would have been thrown out. It is a really good program that is focused on being accessible for other public schools with any budget large or small.

Reuse and repurpose. Get chickens, give all your leftover food to them, let them eat your grass instead of mowing it, keep them away from your tomatoes, it reuses your leftover food and gives you eggs which you don't have to buy anymore

I absolutely agree that chickens are good because they give us food like fiber in the form of eggs, meat, and feathers.

I agree with this, but chickens do poop a lot, and the smell is terrible. Where would you throw all the trash away?

well you do have a point, chickens are super useful for multiple circumstances

I agree that chickens are a very useful way to get rid of your food waste. My family, which is five people, has twenty chickens and a dog and we almost never throw out leftover food. We only throw out about one bag of trash a week, while before we got chickens we had probably around twice as much due to our food waste. Chickens are very useful in this way and also because they provide eggs, around one egg a day per chicken, which means our family has never had to buy eggs from the store (which reduces any packaging thrown away and the fuel needed to transport the eggs to the store!).

I have a very similar experience with my chickens. They take all our wasted food and put it into their eggs. What we do since we have the land is take their waste and put it into a compost pile.

I agree with the chicken idea, and to the guy who said what about the poop, use it as composting. You get three things out of chickens, fresh eggs, a place to put your leftover scrap, and poop for composting.

Instead of just throwing things out or recycling them, we could just reuse them at home. If you end up with an empty container or plastic bag, instead of just recycling it you just put it to use in your own house.

I agree! I think that if there are items that can be reused you should. Many containers and jars can be reused for various things, which will help contribute to buying less containers to store food or other items in. Obviously there are certain things you can’t reuse but if recycling is an option available to you, that should be your next step. Instead of throwing out an old jar or container, think about if it could be reused in any way.

Instead of throwing away or recycling our trash, we could try, trash burning. Trash burning would greatly reduce the amount of space in that garbage takes up in Landfills.

Burning trash might reduce the space it takes up in landfills, but it also causes air pollution, which contributes to global warming.

I agree with Ben trash burning could be reduce the space of this trash, but it makes too much air pollution and this increases the global warming

Burning trash won’t do anything.  It actually releases so much C02 into the atmosphere. Burning trash can cause long-term health problems. The toxic chemicals released during burning include nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic chemicals and polycyclic organic matter.  This is not a solution.  A solution would be to recycle plastic and trash or cut out single use plastic from out economy.

The single-use, throw-away practices of modern-day didn't really happen until the '50s, Post-WWII. During the war manufacturers ramped up their ability to produce supplies for the war effort, but when the war ended, they had a lot invested in these factories and decided to create the idea of single-use throwaway items to make a new market. Our throw-away economies are relatively new and contribute significantly to our carbon footprint. We can make a big impact on our carbon footprint by recreating reuse systems -- and the circular economy. The circular economy focuses on reducing packaging, reusing materials, and recycling the resources we've already extracted from the environment. These practices, particularly reducing packaging and reusing containers, reduces carbon emissions -- and also cuts way back on the plastics polluting our oceans.

There are many items that people use in everyday life that can be reused or recycled. For instance, both plastic bags and plastic water bottles can easily be reused. In addition, many other commodities, such as paper, can be recycled. Also, both leftover food and yard waste can be composted. All of these actions benefit the environment.

Yes, Recycle and Reuse! Both at my school and at home we compost leftover food and yard waste. Also, at school and at my house we recycle all plastic, paper, etc. Perusing these actions can benefit the environment and help to create a cleaner Earth and environment. Recycling can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption.

believe it or not there are many items that can be reused & Repurposed. According to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyl … ver-again/
they can range from everyday items Like Jars,old, clothes,towels, and bedding and even broken dishes. These are just a few of the items that can be reused and repuposed. for  something like empty jars instead of throwing them away they can be reused to store certain things, plant something like a small plant of some kind (your choice). broken dishes are something that can also be repurposed. According to the website above the broken glass can be reused for flower pots or to re-tile outdoor tables and even jewelery. The goal here is to before you put something out for trash or recycle day for the trucks is to get creative and find a way reuse & repurpose something without having it end up in a land fill somewhere. Creativity is key.

Personally my community dump doesn’t actually recycle and even though we put stuff in recycling bins it will still go into a landfill. Reusing and repurposing is the most efficient and productive way to stop wasting plastic and avoid putting more into landfills. This way you know where your item is going and that its being put to good use.

Yes, there is a better way of throwing away things when we finish with them. We can reuse boxes, bottles, bags, and many other things. We can reuse boxes for packing stuff or using them to ship items out. We can reuse bottles for beverages. We can drink water, juice, soda, and other drinks. We can also make money by selling our bottles. We can use bags for bringing things to parties or anything.

I can't argue that I don't agree with this topic I believe and conclude that this statement is very important and is a serious matter.

Thanks for your response, have a good day!

I totally agree with you i think recycling is really important for a more environmental world and the reuse of the various objects is a fantastic idea.

I agree, lack of recycling is a major contributor to people’s carbon footprints. I think it’s very important that we recycle and reuse as much as we can to clean up the planet and get rid of as much trash in the ocean and everywhere on land.

Almost anything that people use in everyday life can be reused or recycled. For instance, both plastic bags and plastic water bottles can easily be reused. You could refill old water bottles or even make pinterest crafts out of them. Reusing plastic bags as trash bags is another useful household way to reuse something. Local stores also have a big recycling bin to dispose of old plastic bags to recycle. In addition, many other commodities, such as paper, can be recycled. There are kits people can invest in to make their own paper out of old paper. Also, both leftover food and yard waste can be composted. My family actually has their own composting box in the backyard, and uses it to benefit their own backyard garden. All of these actions benefit the environment.

https://www.turnbackthetide.ca/taking-a … ycle.shtml

That is a good way for people to reduce and recycle

I agree and think that your ways of recycling different materials are helpful and creative. However, more than recycling and reusing, I think people should learn how to use reusable products instead. For example, instead of buying a drink from Starbucks in its plastic cup, we can bring our water bottle with us and use it. We can also replace plastic bags with tote bags or any reusable bag of our own when going shopping or buying groceries. Having some small reusable products like this at home will effectively help us reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to reducing the effects of climate change on our planet.

I agree with your response to the prompt. I believe that humans don’t often realize how much more than just plastic can be recycled. Recycling means to reuse things in a variety of ways. For example when you need a trash bag and don’t want to waste a whole garbage bag, an alternative is to reuse the same one each time.

I agree with the good ideas you have said.and they are very important for the environment and also for ourselves.also use and take advantage of the things we already have at home.for example with some fabrics that we have at home make a bag and use it in the supermarket instead of plastic bags.I could also make it fun to recycle or reuse the materials we already have at home.it even comes to us as a composter in our own garden

Do you know how to dispose of old computers?
Every year, many computers and other electronic equipment become obsolete, yet how to dispose of it remains a mystery to many. Don't just throw them in the trash; there is a proper way to dispose of old computers. You can recycle old computers, which helps reduce pollution and energy use. You can also reuse or even donate old computers if they still have a useful life left.

Electronic equipment contains valuable resources: gold, palladium, copper and other rare earth elements. Computers also contain lead, mercury, and cadmium, all of which are materials that have negative health effects if they come into contact with water bodies or are incinerated. In general, reducing the amount of material in the waste stream is a good idea.

Before you start, do you really need to get rid of the computer? Check out our guide to help you determine if you need to upgrade or replace your computer. Often an upgrade will speed up and modernize your system and it may surprise you. But with old computers, you often simply have to reuse them, donate them, or throw them away and recycle them.

This is very informative! What a great way to completely utilize everything while being 0 waste. This method proves there is almost anything you can recycle, and reuse. This definitely helps out with modern times as it gets harder and harder to figure out what to do with reusing and recycling technology.

I really enjoyed this discussion post. I had no idea about the different compounds within a computer and how can can be utilized. Thank you very much for informing me about this topic and how important it is to fully get the best environmental impact out of a electronic device.

Disposing of technology these days can be very challenging when you do not know where to properly dispose of it. This information Is very good to have to help lessen the amount of computer waste in the world.

Disposing of technology these days can be very challenging when you do not know where to properly dispose of it. This information Is very good to have to help lessen the amount of computer waste in the world.

To reduce the amount of trash we throw away or materials we recycle, there are some things we can do. Some of those things include using reusable water bottles, composting, use reusable grocery bags, avoid single-use containers, etc.

We should reuse stuff like water bottles, plastic bags. The fossil fuels are being burned in order to create these things. Plastic bottles end up in the ocean. This creates toxic that affect fish and all of marine life.

One of the most difficult things to try to reuse or repurpose is single use plastic, though the easy way out is just recycling it (which is still encouraged), single use plastic doesn't have to be single use. First off some single use plastics I wouldn't recommend reusing is silverware since you can unfortunately not sanitize it. I think that the best single use plastics you could reuse is plastic bags and plastic containers for food. They are both so versatile and really don't need to be single use until they are too worn out. What are some ways you reuse or repurpose single use plastics?

I think a big contributor to our climate and our polluted oceans is plastic. Plastic is constantly used as a one time use item. So how can we help turn plastics into multi use items? One way is by reusing our plastic bags so we don't have to buy more of them. Using a container to store them is one of the best ways to reuse, and stop pollution that I have found.

This is true, and I think a way California has helped is now they charge for using plastic bags in stores. However, completely reusing would be extremely hard to do, reusable things like metal water bottles can be quite expensive compared to the plastic water bottle alternative.

Although I agree with the fact that using a reusable plastic container to prevent further pollution, I think there are more efficient ways to accomplish this goal. An example is that maybe it should be mandatory for stores or public-use buildings to have a recycling bin. Another way to prevent pollution could be having schools require a certain amount of hours of community service which could be effective for more than just plastics. Although these examples are much bigger in scale than what you were going for, I think that if a difference is wanted that we should take bigger action.

Recycling has a big benefit on our environment. It is basically reviving materials while saving money. We can save materials by recycling instead of throwing them away and going to landfills. If we don't, it could lead to pollution and an unhealthy environment.

Using one time plastics is harmful to us humans and also to our fellow life on this earth. If you don't think it affects you that's maybe because you can't see it. As we put plastic in the ocean it biodegrades and gets so small to where you can't see it. Please try to use Reusable items. Sometimes you can't use a reusable item then try your best to through it in the recycle.

As humans, it is inevitable to not cause any sort of trash or waste, but one way we can help reduce waste is by reusing and repurposing them. A common phrase that I go by is: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. Reuse plastics, glass bottles, cups, bags, etc. Reduce the amount of single-use plastics that you buy. And if you can’t reduce or reuse the waste- recycle plastics, paper, and glass. Fulfill every chance you get to take something that could turn into waste and repurpose it.

I know I mentioned this in a reply, but I think this idea is quite underrated and unused. A lot of times, you can find a lot more clothing and items in stores that you are interested in then if you go shopping in stores for brand new clothing. I think you can find a lot more style and new types of styles that you've never seen before and be more open for other designs than the ones that most stores are limited too. These types of stores are really not bad at all, we were all just brought up to think that way, a lot of the clothes are practically new and clean, you can also clean it if you'd like. Also siblings clothings are also not that bad, I find myself really liking my siblings style and their clothes are still good to wear. This way, you can limit the amount of new items and clothing you need to buy and reuse more things.

Plastic at first seemed completely harmless and humans mostly saw plastic for its purpose, whether it’s making bottles to contain liquids to industrial machinery. Now, plastics are in the ocean from humans not recycling used plastic. This leads to the plastic ending up in oceans to be eaten by ocean life which can kill them. Recycling and finding a new purpose for used plastic is the only way we can preserve sea life and keep our water, which humans need to SURVIVE, clean.

We NEED to start recycling and stop throwing plastic in the ocean. It is not only harmful for animals but it can be harmful for us if it ended up being in the water that we drink.

We need to stop buying always new clothes and especially new clothes you dont need, you can buy very high quality clothes at thrift shops.

I agree with this because clothes can last a long time and the packaging for new ones usually gets sent to landfills.

I agree with this, We need to limit our buying of new things, especially if were able to, i do wish though you could have added something about fast fashion and how if you have money if you could buy from sustainable stores!

Yes, this is a good idea.  New clothes are a big contributor to Carbon Emissions because they have to:
1.Get made in a factory, which pollutes the air
2. Get shipped to the store, in a truck or plane, which even further pollutes the air,
3. Replace old clothes which are most likely not recyclable and end up in landfill.

Buying used clothes OR not buying new clothes at all will greatly reduce emissions.

This is true, there are cheaper options available, which cost way less for us, and the environment's health.

I definitely agree with this argument. It is extremely easy to buy secondhand clothes rather than new ones, and it also affects the environment in a positive way.

I agree with this but if people really want new clothes they can either donate the clothes to a charity or sell the clothes so that they could be used by other people and not go to waste.

I agree with this to an extent. I say this because there are some things that you just can’t get used, at least in my opinion. Some examples would be underclothes, sweatsuits, and certain types of hats. Some things, however, I think you should never get new. An example of these would be belts.

As our oceans become increasingly polluted with plastic, we, as humans, have the responsibility of trying to prevent more from reaching our oceans. Plastic in our oceans have always been, and still are, a huge problem. They kill our marine life, pollute our water, etc. Although the best method of preventing plastic from reaching our oceans is to not use it at all, there are still a few easier ways. For example, by reusing and repurposing the plastic that you already have, you are already buying less plastic (since you are reusing it) and you are disposing of less plastic. You could also recycle the plastic so that it doesn't end up in landfills. These small and easy changes positively affects the world we live in.

Plastic greatly contributes to the carbon footprint, with around 6kg of CO2 being produced per 1 kg of plastic being used. This will gradually build up when more and more plastics are being produced, therefore we should find methods for reusing the plastic wastes. Thankfully, plastic is recyclable and reusable, so many car companies have been using it to create parts for automobiles. Smart methods like these should be applied more in the world to protect our environment and to protect ourselves from melting as a result of climate change.

Recycling helps the planet a lot. Even if you don't have multiple bins for different types of recycling it is always good to at least have on and turn it into a habit. Create good habits young to have good habits when you are older. My family has 3 different bins for recycling. It really helps out the environment.

I don't think we'll be able to stop using plastic but I think we should use reusable items and not where you use it one time and throw it out. It creates unnecessary waste and too much energy spent on recycling it.

We don't need to buy newer items when they still provide and are suitable for your needs. If they break we can always find a new purpose for them or recycle them.

In my family, we reuse plastic bags as much as we can. If we get one to hold our groceries with, we'll use it to store other items that need to be kept in a bag for as long as possible. Then, if we really need them, we'll use them for scooping cat poop & throwing it out. You can find ways to reuse your plastic bags and make them last a little longer.

I think that a lot of people have gotten used to this modern way of living where use as much energy as we want and aren't conscious of how much we are affecting the environment, but I think that if everyone becomes a little more aware of how to lower their carbon footprint it will make a difference. For example, some small way to reuse and repurpose is to start your own compost pile! Just by composting your food waste, you can lower the amount of waste that is going into our landfills and the compost made from leftover food waste improves soil health and is better for gardening soil.

Millions and millions of pounds of plastic are taken out of the ocean each year. A lot of this is because of us humans not recycling or reusing plastic containers. You can get a container of marshmallow fluff and use all of it then throw it away because it has been used. But you can also buy the product, finish it, and then reuse the container for other foods or items in general. The same thing goes with any of other product that comes in a plastic container. You would 1, be saving money and 2, be helping out the environment.

Giving away clothes that you no longer wear is a really good way to repurpose them. You could give them away to your siblings, someone you know or a thrift store. Another thing that can easily be reused are store bought items that come in containers. My family and I very often keep containers and use them to store other things after using whatever was in them originally

I completely agree with this. Instead of throwing away clothes that, 1, were expensive and 2, took a lot to make, you could donate them. Donating them to local thrift stores or passing them down to your family/friends is a great way of re-purposing. And with the containers you could reuse them for years instead of throwing away and buying new ones every few months. It is a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle.

I believe if you can, recycling will always be better than just sending trash to a landfill. Since all the trash in landfills is sitting under years worth, or even decades worth of other trash. Most of it probably won't even decompose since there won't be any light or water to break down the items. So if something can go and be made into a new material, and me put into another item. That will cut down on the amount of disposable products being used, and help the environment.

I agree, recycling is always better than sending it to a landfill. Even if recyclables end up in a landfill like they sometimes sadly do, there still was a chance of it being properly recycled. Also any recyclables that end up being recycled is a positive thing and helps the enviornment.

Please pardon my cynicism, but one issue with most standard recycling is that eventually the recycled objects wind up in a landfill anyways. The best instances of recycling are when used in un-removable objects, like buildings.

Ecology is a a important topic because it affects all of humanity. People have been throwing trash everywhere, leaving the water running and all other sort of little things that make a big impact. All we need is for everyone to do their part.

Reusing and repurposing is actually a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, instead of buying fast fashion from some big warehouse in China, go to your local thrift store if you are able to.Im very lucky to live in the united states were i have a lot more access to thrift stores and things that can help me reuse and repurpose.I think this is pretty easy and useful for people to start doing if they haven't already, such as keeping the glass jar from sauce and using it for leftovers. I think this is one of the most easiest thing we can do as humans to try and help because you don't need much to do it, and it can potentially help you.

Yes, it's totally worth reusing. We can reuse containers, water bottles, clothes, bags, etc. instead of buying new ones, which = less energy, resources and money used.

we need to stop buying this many new clothes. You can buy the same clothes in thrift shops for both cheaper and help reduce co2 at the same time.

Donating old clothes to local thrift stores and buying clothes from local thrift stores is a way to reuse and repurpose. We can also take reusable bags to grocery stores instead of using the bags already provided.

I agree! If we donated our old clothes (or unwanted clothes) to local thrift stores and buy more from the same store we can reuse and repurpose them! I believe that is a good way to keep the amount of products made to a minimum. You can find many great finds at thrift stores and not only do thrift stores sell and take in clothes, they also take in furniture and other items such as, old vases, artwork, tables, and more! We also can as you mentioned use reusable bags in grocery stores instead of the plastic ones they supply. A way we can prevent plastic bags from being used is by upping the price of them and lowering the price of the cloth bags. An alternative use for plastic bags you still have is using it to pick up waste, in other words turn them into garbage bags.

I agree. You can also take the plastic bags if you do end up using them and instead of throwing them away you can bring them two zero waste disposal site where you can sort through things that cannot be put into the  city recycling and recycle them. If you do end up getting plastic bags you can also reuse them. For example if you need to go to the grocery store but you do not have any reusable bags you can use already existing plastic bags that you got last time, or maybe it is raining and you have something in your bag that you do not want to get wet but you do not have a wet bag and you decided to walk then you can wrap that said item up in old plastic bags that you already have. Or just as you said you can use them as garbage bags. You can also donate your unwanted/small/old clothes or unwanted toys or more for free instead of bringing them to thrift store that way you know it goes to someone who needs it or even just makes it more probable that someone will get it since it is free.

One way to reuse and repurpose is donating your clothes to a store or giving them to someone you know could use them. Reusing glass and plastic containers is another easy way to reuse instead of throwing away.

I completely agree with your statement that using reusable bottles and containers in your everyday life will help reduce our carbon footprint and the Co2 emitted into the atmosphere. Nevertheless, I have a couple more suggestions to reduce our carbon footprint and the Co2 in the atmosphere. We can compost food waste at our homes, which we can use to grow food for ourselves and our communities. You can also give away trash to companies that take it and repurpose it as new materials. Doing this will put less trash in the wrong places, like the ocean. Lastly, we could use reusable energy to power our homes or cars. Its clean, cheap, and good for the environment!

one thing that would be better to stop is fast fashion company's like shien or romwe, its just cheap clothing that doesn't last and I see people who buy a ton of it when they can afford better things. basically fast fashion doesn't do anything good and just lets people feel like cloths are comply worthless since they can always get more. idk I saw a yt video on this and though it was kinda related.

I agree, like you said the clothes don´t last as long and therefor they can´t be reused and donated when you outgrow them. Also, people tend to buy these clothes because they are cheap but when you buy so much of them you might as well buy something more expensive that would last you much longer and donate it later on.

Hell0, I completely agree with both of your statements. I would like to add that boycotting these fast fashion brands, would also cause less emissions from the sweatshops where they are made. This would be beneficial for the planet, but also will act as a protest against extremely low wages and child labor laws in foreign countries that mainly create these cheap clothes.

There are lots of better and different ways to use things that we would normally be throwing away in the trash. But the question is, what can they become? When they are recycled they can make new bottles and containers, plastic lumber, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, recycling bins, and more. We use plastic bags to carry home groceries. They keep our bread and other food fresh. There are also lots of other places to put food waste like; Buy less food. ...
Take “Use By” dates with a grain of salt. ...
Get creative with leftovers. ...
Regrow produce. ...
Grow scraps into foliage house plants. ...
Compost. ...
Save scraps for neighborhood chickens. ...
Disposal.

I agree that there are so many ways to reuse things we would normally throw away! First of all, I think it's really important to be mindful of what your buying before you purchase it so you can decide if it's something that will last a while and get a lot of use. Choosing things that are made to be reusable from the start is a really good option, but we should also come up with solutions and ideas for creating new uses for things that are made to be thrown away and end up contributing to pollution.
- In terms of clothing, I like to make sure that I donate it to second-hand stores
- Similarly to what you said, I also reuse bags, whether that means reusing plastic bags like the ones they give you at stores and purchasing reusable bags made from things besides plastic and paper
- Grow some of your own food (For example my family grows lemons and some herbs in our backyard)
- Save food containers and jars that can be reused instead of thrown away
- Save food scraps to create compost in the soil

Reusing and Repurposing are two things we can do to reduce our carbon footprints. An example of how we can reuse would be to bring your reusable water bottle to school rather than bringing a plastic one. Instead of buying a paper or plastic bag at the grocery store, we can bring our own tupperware or reusable wax paper bags. Donating your old clothes or buying someone else's clothes from a thrift store is another way we can reuse. You can repurpose your old clothes or even change up some of the new clothes that you thrift. Some bigger things you can do to help be more sustainable is driving an electric car, or encouraging people to use solar, sustainable energy. Also just shopping at stores that have organic food or support environmental programs. All of these are examples of simple things we can do to decrease our carbon footprint and help the Earth.

Reusing and Repurposing are two things we can do to reduce our carbon footprints. An example of how we can reuse would be to bring your reusable water bottle to school rather than bringing a plastic one. Instead of buying a paper or plastic bag at the grocery store, we can bring our own reusable bag. Donating your old clothes or buying someone else's clothes from a thrift store is another way we can reuse. You can repurpose your old clothes or even change up some of the new clothes that you thrift. All of these are examples of ways we can reuse and repurpose things to prevent more waste in our environment.

I think that repurposing or reusing things can help reduce pollution and people's carbon footprint. For example, going thrifting or donating to thrift stores can help because it helps reduce mass production of clothing which is bad for the environment. I thrift and it isn't actually bad there is actually a lot of clothing to choose from. As well as repurposing other things and reusing things to create new things with new purposes instead of throwing it all into the dump which is bad for the environment for many reasons. Such as the trash ending up into the ocean and the burning of the trash put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Reusing and repurposing materials, is key to having a low carbon footprint and a healthy environment. One discovery that I made this year was bioplastics. Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, woodchips, sawdust and recycled food waste. Bioplastic can easily be made with water, cornstarch, glycerin and vinegar. What is so amazing about bioplastic is that it degrades very fast and if an animal consumes it, it will not harm them. There are also other ways to live a sustainable lifestyle. For example instead of throwing out old clothes you can use the fabric to make something new or donate it. Using glass instead of plastic is also good for the environment. For my lunch I have reusable containers made of metal and glass instead of plastic ones. I also reuse glass bottles to keep plants in or reuse as something else.

https://www.plasticsindustry.org/supply … ioplastics
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi … an-plastic

One way to reduce carbon emissions is to recycle nonrenewable resources. When people don't recycle used materials, new virgin materials have to be extracted, requiring energy consumption. Energy consumption leads to the release of greenhouse gasses, including carbon, into the atmosphere where they create a rise in global temperatures. But, recycling is a simple yet effective step to prevent carbon emissions. For example, according to stopwaste.org, recycling paper reduces 4.3 tons of carbon dioxide from the amount of materials and energy put into producing 1 ton of office paper. Overall, recycling materials reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improving the health of the planet.
https://www.stopwaste.org/at-work/reduc … protection

One of the main behaviors that most contribute to a high carbon footprint and high CO₂ emissions is the process of buying new and throwing away after one use. The World Bank writes that the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. That means an average human generates about 0.74 kilograms of waste worldwide. One way to decrease this number is by reducing one's consumption of newly bought items. For example, reusing clothes from family members, friends, or even thrift stores can help. If something doesn't fit or is old, one can repurpose the item to make it more likable instead of buying new ones and throwing them away. Oberlo states that global e-retail sales are going to grow to up to $4.8 trillion by 2021. To conclude, reusing and repurposing doesn't only help the earth become a cleaner place, but also helps one become a better person by contributing to help the environment.

https://datatopics.worldbank.org/what-a … ement.html
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/online-shopping-statistics

I never thought about repurposing things, but this is something small that we can all do to contribute to a better Earth. I wonder what happens to the items that we just throw away? In order to help lower the carbon dioxide emissions there should be a way that the waste managment can even reuse instead of just putting the items to waste.

Reusing and repurposing is key to keeping a healthy environment. Reusing is preferable because it saves the energy required to dismantle and re-manufacture products. It also significantly reduces waste and pollution by reducing the need for raw materials, thereby saving both forests and water supplies. When reusing and repurposing, you can eliminate the possibility of toxic chemicals being realized into the atmosphere when being thrown away in land fills etc. An example of when I have properly reused something, is when I have old clothing, instead of throwing it away, I try to give it away to younger family members or thrift stores. Thrifting is a great way to reuse and repurpose. According to studies, the average American discards 81 pounds of clothing each year. Add it all up, and it's possible that 26 billion pounds of textiles end up in landfills across the United States. Thrifting aids in the reduction of textile waste because the clothing is recycled by allowing someone else to purchase it.

Two ways of reducing your carbon footprint could be reusing and repurposing. For example, instead of throwing away old clothes, you could donate or give them to others so they could reuse it and avoid less waste; Or, you could repurpose those clothes to your liking. Another way is to use reusable containers or water bottles so you don't have to keep throwing away plastic items. In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, but if we continue to reuse and repurpose, there would be fewer waste and a better environment. Lastly, you should be creative with reusing and repurposing- take something old or trashy and make it into something useful.

For things such as clothing, shoes, and other everyday necessities you can Repurpose. For me, this has been using old clothes from those who have gone to my school before me. For others, this could entail thrifting your clothes or trying to repurpose old clothes into new styles. Everyone is different in the way that they dress, so thrifting may grant you access to this wide variety of options. There are many others ways to Reuse and Repurpose, like composting old food. This can be done through the way of building a compost bin. Seeing as the US averages only a 34.7 percent composting rate, this is an easy fix to get rid of all your compostable materials. What other ways can we Reuse and Repurpose in this day and age?

https://www.waste360.com/composting/epa … n-stagnant

Something that you could do to help reuse and repurpose is give away and donate your old clothes instead of throwing them away. Something that I have done that you could also do is reusing old Tupperware or jars for other things like planters, or for leftover food etc. I would also recommend to buy or use secondhand items instead of buying new things, most of the time second hand items are just as good as new. How are some ways that you reuse and repurpose things?

I think I definitely could have less of a carbon footprint, I can also talk to my family about trying out different ways of saving energy.
- Turning off lights
- Eating less meat
-Riding bikes more as well as carpooling with others.

If you change your clothes, you can put them in collectors. In France we have an association called “la croix rouge” and this association puts 2,300 clothes collectors in the cities. Clothes collected are given to people in difficulty. Every year, almost 15,000 tonnes are harvested. Everyday some volunteers sort your clothes and give them to vulnerable people. In addition this association sells the other clothes and the money raised is used to give food to the poorest. It's eco-friendly and nice.
It can be added that you can also give your clothes to your family to reuse them.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

And don't forget to rethink, refuse, reduce, repair and rot compost!

There are real environmental benefits and savings from wearing recycled fashion. You don't just help the environment by recycling clothing, you also help the circular economy of your country. But let's get back to the environmet. Last week, I have read an article, which shows that purchasing 100 second-hand garments would save between 60 and 85 new garments. We are not just saving our money, we are also providing 14% reduction in carbon footprint for the cotton T-shirt and a 45% reduction of human toxicity for the poly-cotton trousers (and other cancer-causing chemicals). And I want to mention that vintage trends are coming back, so second-hand stores are the best place for that! Sometimes, we definetly see some nice piece of clothes on our friend, so why wouldn't we try swaping clothes and saving money and our planeth Earth? Also,sometimes a small DIY on old stuff can make it shine!

An interesting way to swap clothes with your friends is to have a clothes swap, where everyone brings clothes that are in good condition but they don't want anymore, and then people can take their clothes and they can take other peoples clothes. If there are any clothes left over, they could be donated to charity or sold to a second-hand shop.

Yes! That's great idea. It's like 3 in 1, you and your friends save money, you even help somebody else and you protect our planet (without h ?). Also, thank you for your reply! ?

Yes! That's great idea. It's like 3 in 1, you and your friends save money, you even help somebody else and you protect our planet (without h¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Also, thank you for your reply! <3

I love thrifting! It is a really easy and fun way to help save the planet. I recently learned that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce the cotton in a pair jeans and 400 gallons to produce the cotton for one t-shirt! By thrifting you both save money, water, and the planet. My favorite item of clothing I've thrifted is a cotton button up that feels like linen.

That's an interesting fact! I also love spending time in second-hand shops and sometimes you can find great pieces of clothing (even limited edition)! Thank you for your reply, it made me happy! (✿◡‿◡)

I agree. Shopping second-hand can drastically reduce carbon footprints so there is really no reason not to do exactly that.

I'm glad that you agreed with these ideas about reusing clothing! Thank you for your reply! (●'◡'●)

To be honest, thrift shops have some nice clothes, they are comfy and cute <3

Exactly! (★‿★)

100 billion pieces of clothes are newly produced in the fashion industry each year. Yet, less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new textiles and fibers. In the last 15 years, clothing production has nearly doubled! Globally, people throw out around $460 billion worth of clothes! We can all help to reduce the damage of these wasteful habits. Instead of disposing of clothes you can repair, resell, donate, rent, and reuse clothes. And as aforementioned in this discussion, one great way of reusing clothes would be buying from a thrift store! If we all work together, we can reduce our harmful impact on the environment through the fashion industry!

It's shocking how much do we waste our money (and planet)...One good old quote says that alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much! Thank you for these facts and reply! ◉◡◉

Other ways you can reuse clothes, is by turning them into pillows, blankets, bags, and other DIY projects. The research you have done on how to reuse and recycle clothing is great! Also, you seem like such a genuine and nice person! Thank you, have a nice day/night.

Awwwww thanks a lot... You have really made my day! And I'm also glad that you liked this research. Blankets and pillows are great idea! For example, now is very popular to do patchwork DIYs. Thanks again! (❤◡❤)

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Not all the places have this type of trash container and it comes from the grey one. With the rests that where depposite in the container we can do compost that is can be use like fertilizer or generator of energy.
Is possible that you don´t have one near but, in this case you can learn how to do your own compost in home or at achool.
How to do it:
1)Its important to choose a place to do it. Its better a place that you can close and warm.
2)First you have to make a layer dry and woody with some manure.
3)Then you have to remove it and keep it rest. You have to put water in them sometimes.
4)A few months later (4/6) the layer must be composted.

oohh maria thats a very very good idea!!!

I agree, schools here have started to do compost programs, and it is something everyone can do to cut down on their waste.

I think that maybe the glass car enterprises should recycle the glasses, extist many car glass enterprises but here in México one of the most important is Parabrisas y Cristales Automotrices

We started a compost program at our school two years ago and even worked with the cafeteria to change to more compostable containers.  It was great to see less waste going to the landfill.  We also started a worm bin where students would discard apple cores and banana peels, then used the castings in the garden.

To reduce the amount of waste we produce, we can reduce things by reusing them.  We can turn things that we would never use anymore to things that we would or donate too.

If clothes don't fit then they could always go to someone else in need.

You can make clothes into something else if you don't like them anymore like making pants into shorts if you don't like them as pants.

You can make clothes into something else if you don't like them anymore like making pants into shorts if you don't like them as pants.

that's definitely a good way to reuse clothing! You can also donate them to thrift stores or clothing drives if you don't have siblings

Many people today don't know why recycling is important. I'll name a few things that are important about it right now. Recycling allows things to be repurposed such as plastic water bottles, plastic bags, and containers. next I'm going to bring up a topic that I'm sure a lot of people already know about. Plastic and other things that could be easily recyclable are thrown on the floor or into the ocean causing many animals to choke on or maybe get stuck inside of. Sadly, most of the animals that go through these situation likely die. Remember, anyone can recycle and make a better world for the people and animals that live in it.

I agree. I think we should understand the importance of recycling and learn hoe to reuse the trash of our daily life

you can reuse and repurpose, or give it to someone else who needs it more.

You can pass your clothes, you don´t use anymore, to a family member or a friend. Or you can donate or sell them.

I agree because it's very easy to reuse or repurpose your stuff. You can do it through simple things like crafts, hacks, or DIYs. Not only will that give you some new stuff, but it will be helpful to the earth.

If clothes don't fit anymore you can donate them or give them to your younger siblings or cousins.

I do this too. Whenever I have clothes that I don't want or is too small I give them to my younger cousin.

Instead of throwing away clothing you could pass them down to a family member, donate, or make something out of the piece of clothing into something else you could use.

Personally ,Some people should use their bikes or legs to access places not far from home.That would be beneficial to enviroment and theirshelves too.Two for one.

I agree that if walking or biking to your destination is accessible to you, you should do it. Another way that we can reduce are transportation carbon footprint is by riding the bus (or subway if you have that) or carpooling.

I totally agree. It isn't hard to go by bike. Due corona I had to take the bike for even one year instead of the city bus or the train

I think we should try to get the most use out of things before we  get rid of them. for example, instead of throwing away some paper you used to print something you can use the back side of it if blank as scratch paper.

I agree. It's a great way to reuse paper.

A lot of videos have been surfacing onto the web of how people reuse scraps of paper to make pieces of paper.

This really is helpful for many reasons as in less trees get cut down,you wouldn't have to throw away so much paper scraps, you can use that same paper if you don´t need it at that moment.

I think this is a great idea. So many trees get cut down for paper and trees are one of our main ways of storing carbon dioxide. Reusing paper if we could get the majority of the population to do it could really help with climate change I think. We need the forests, we need to start saving them and this could be a great way to help.

I agree!

This is a very good thought. I think a lot of people don’t know about reusing paper scraps so they mostly end up throwing them in the trash and disregarding them. I believe if more people learned how to reuse paper scraps, it would very much help in reducing deforestation and would help us to create a cleaner environment and reduce our footprint.

Is a good idea and I going to try to do

I agree!!

Although this idea is very creative and supported, I still believe that there should be another machine or way to create paper out of recycled paper faster and easier. I also believe that some scientists should study and think about which material can recycle paper to use it again. Overall, I still respect your idea very much.

I love the idea of recycling paper! I saw a video on TikTok that included flowers (from weeds growing around the house) in the paper which made it so cute. I would love to make my own paper with flowers in it for birthday cards for my friends (especially since a few of them really like the cottage-core aesthetic)!

Reusing items before throwing them away is the best way to get the use out of that item.Also we would be buying less of that item which would help the environment.

it's a great idea.

I agree with you because the best from to get a very good planet is recicle and reusing the products . Bye

I agree, most items we just throw away can be reused in many ways. I think that if people just thought of potential of reusing some items before tossing them out, there could be a lot more waste saved.

I definitely agree with what you saying. It is smart to reuse and not only does it reduce your carbon footprint but it also saves money. It would be better to give something another use instead of throwing it away in the trash.

Though I really your idea, I have to be the one bringing us all back to reality.
It is easier said than done. Most of the people will still throw things out even if they know it could have multiple use. Why ? Because they've lost the connection we once had with objects, places and even food. Most don't see the true value of things because it has been replaced by the biggest convention to ever exist : money. It blinded all society, made us all think that the exchanges between customers and producers have now become "easier"but the reality of it isn't that great. In fact it only turned us into little consumers that cannot live without spending and wasting. We're living in a rather developed world, access to information had never been this easier yet some still turn a blind eye on environmental issues. To re-use something would be going against the dogmas of our capitalistic society that is based on the very concept of "one time use". Everything we buy is made so that it's lifespan remains long enough to temporarily satisfy the customer yet short enough to make it shut down right before the companies sell another series of it.
Like I said before everyone is aware of environmental issues yet very few of us are doing something. We are aware of our situation, of the problem and we even have the solution. Then what are we missing you might ask ? Our logic. We know yet we do nothing because the root of capitalism grew so deep in our society that we'd rather choose our belongings than saving the planet.

Really like*

Yes! Magnets are recyclable and can be extremely useful, therefore, Imane Quantum at  we invite you to dispose of them responsibly!
In practically all recycling plants, regardless of the material involved, they have powerful electromagnets (whose magnetic field can be activated or deactivated) that are essential for the entire process.

Many times we find waste that may be inappropriate and even be made up of different materials. Separating them one by one manually would slow down and make the process enormously difficult. That is why companies crush the materials and pass them through these magnets, which retain all types of metallic materials, classifying and leaving everything free of impurities.

https://youtu.be/6jQ7y_qQYUA

Recycle is great and this ideas are very interesting

Recycling is a good way to reduce our carbon footprint, and if we apply this ideas we can help and colaborate.

Really good video. Thanks Araceli!

well done Lidia I love your idea and the video

I think that is a great idea. Im going  to try it in my house.

Well done Lidia, I like your idea

we must all recycle to improvise our planet and so that there is less pollution.

ohhhh thats a good idea ANREA1!!!

improve*

improve* so sorry

Hi, I think that all people have to recycle, baecause the world is very important, and if we don´t recycle the world is goin to worse.
This is a video to recycle:
https://youtu.be/cvakvfXj0KE

Well done , very good idea Lidia

Good idea Lidia.

Well done Lidia I agree whit you is so importan to take care of the world

I like your idea , very good

Reusing and repurposing can be anything from paper, to metal, to clothing. I think we should start reusing and repurposing more items to help cut down on waste that could sometime down the road, make it into our oceans. Not only would it reduce going into our oceans, we would get more use out of the things we don’t need anymore.

I belived that my carboon foot print is higher but is in the mean of the people in my region but I must to recycle and reuse the things that I use

Reusing soap bottles and other plastic bottles used for liquid products would be really easy. Instead of throwing away the bottle and buying a new one every time we run out of soap, we could set up soap dispensing stores where you go to the store to refill your soap bottle. The same thing could be done with other products like cooking oil or milk. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/removing- … 42103.html

I think people should do that it is also useful. Why? Well because we don't have to waste money on thing that can be reused.

I agree, doing this people could help the environment and save money. Also, if people can't reuse their bottles for what they were intended for they can still reuse them in another way like using the bottles as flower pots.

I agree, doing this people could help the environment and save money. Also, if people can't reuse their bottles for what they were intended for they can still reuse them in another way like using the bottles as flower pots.

I think this is a great idea and in my local store where my family gets laundry detergent, there’s a dispenser so you don’t have to buy a new container. They also have this for many things in the store like honey, maple syrup, and peanut butter. I think this is super helpful because it costs the costumer less if they bring their own container and it creates much less waste.

I agree. Reusing shampoo bottles is a clean and efficient way for less waste. You could also try and buy bottles in bulk so it will last longer. Once you are done with the bulk bottle, you can still you reuse it, with even less waste!

I think that is a really good idea. I think it is an idea that not many people think about, but it is something that really isn’t that hard to do. Doing this is something that I think could really help the environment. You can also do it with other things, it doesn’t only have to be shampoo bottles. This could help the environment a lot more than people think.

I think they could make dispensers for lots of products that come in plastic bottles such as honey, maple syrup, and peanut butter and I think this is super helpful because their would be less plastics being used and that makes less pollution.

It is a good idea, I will try at home. People don't worry too much about it and recycling is very important. ???

I think one way to do so is to buy a few smaller bottles and once you finish with those buy a big bottle to refill the smaller bottles.  I do this because it means that I am not using as much plastic because instead of buying a bunch of small ones I buy a few small ones and a big one resulting in less plastic being used when it doesn’t have to be used.  Doing this can apply to condiments, dish soap, hand soap, shampoo, and even water bottles.

I think that reusing materials like shampoo bottles or just containers in general is a great idea. It helps with the amount of waste created from the unnecessary amount of bottles. At many CO-OPs there are dispensers for laundry detergent and even foods like honey, peanut butter, etc. I think that is a great way to be eco-friendly.

As a community, we should develop and refine our techniques in the recycling sector so that we can recycle our waste in our own town instead if shipping a vast majority of it to other locations.

While throwing items away when we are done using them can seem like the easiest thing to do, but it is very rarely the best thing to do for the environment. A good example of a way to reuse is not using those plastic bags we get from the grocery store. Where I live, we had a plastic bag ban which is no longer in use at the moment because of COVID. It is much better for the environment to bring your own reusable bags than using the store’s plastic bags that easily get holes in them and most people don’t recycle. Using reusable bags when at the grocery store is a good way to reduce your carbon footprint.

It is good to bring reusable bags to stores but not all people have reusable bags, bit what people can do that don't have reusable bags is some stores will take plastic bags back and recycle them so instead of throwing them away you can bring them back to the store so they can be recycled.

Getting in the habit of reusing and recycling will help lower carbon emissions because there will be less pollution and less factory making of the product. Solutions like bringing reusable bags to the supermarket, or reusing plastic containers, or not even buying plastic in the first place could help the climate and lower the pollution.

There have already been an abundance of good replies in this thread, so I want to take this as an opportunity to explain something you can do to help reduce your plastic waste; eco bricks. An eco brick is a building material made of recycled and compressed plastic. To make an eco brick at home you start a large empty soda or water bottle. As you accumulate plastic waste, wash and cut it into little pieces. (Small enough to fit through the neck of your bottle.) Each time you add plastic in your bottle, use a dowel rod to compact it til you eventually pack the bottle until you can’t move the plastic inside. After that you send it off to an organization (I’ll remember the name and link later) who uses your plastic to make eco bricks. It’s pretty cool, you should look it up!

Reusing and recycling items can be harder in a COVID setting. Pre-COVID my school switched to using donated silverware instead of the one time use plastic silverware for school lunches, but they can no longer offer reusable silverware because of sanitary concerns. Solutions like these, reusing and recycling in bigger groups/settings, were the answer, but that door has been shut in our faces because of a preventable disease. But in a smaller, home setting, math things can be reused or recycled or even not used at all because of a better no-waste product. An example would be shampoo and conditioner bars, which lather like a soap bar and don't leave behind a big plastic bottle and sometimes cant be recycled. Always look for the better product and it could lower carbon footprints.

Hi all, I know that right before COVID my community was constantly making changes such as using silverware at school and less or no plastic packaging, composting and recycling, and getting rid of plastic bags in grocery stores. Sadly during COVID much of this changed as people became hyper focused on cleanliness and stopped reusing, repurposing and recycling. I am in a school based group called wind planners and we have had the realization that all of these changes will have lastly effects even after COVID. We have also observed how little danger there is is reusing and recycling in relation to COVID. I am hoping others have suggestions or ideas that we can do to work towards maintaining a greener community even through COVID? How have others communities reacted in relation to reusing, repurposing and recycling?

I think that reusing is a very important thing that more people should do. Some good ways of reusing are to purchase some clothes from thrift stores or donate old clothes there, using reusable bags and finding new uses for items that will be going in the garbage. I believe that reducing is just as important or more important than reusing. This is because if you purchase less of something in the first place then you don't need to reuse it. It is especially important to not buy too much food from the grocery store if you know you cant eat that much. In Canada alone, 2.2 million tons of food is wasted each year and 17 billion dollars is lost to buying too much food.

I agree with your statement Thomas K, I agree that we should start to buy more clothing from thrift stores, and only buy food that we need. I also think that we should recycle and reuse more plastic. For example, there is an company that uses recycled plastic to make jackets, bags and other items for outdoor activities. This is a very efficient way to reuse plastic and I think we should apply the same idea to other things like packaging, and cutlery, we could achieve so much if we recycled and reused more plastic.

I agree with what you have to say. I think that even finding new uses for items you are going to throw away is helpful. If you just finished a bag of chips, or have a non recyclable bag/container that will go in the garbage, use it to pick up dog poop. Use the containers berries come in as little planters for succulents or other plants. But I also agree that reducing is just as important, as reusing. When possible it is best to buy items in glass, aluminum, or paper containers, and even before you recycle these items, you can find ways to repurpose them before you do so!

I agree with all of you, at my house we reuse cardboard to make decorative items or crafts me and my siblings make, and you can reuse the plastic bags as garbage bags for smaller trash cans too. I like the idea of using the blueberry contains for small plants, I've tried that before, but maybe I need to research it a bit more. The company that reuses plastic to make their products sounds cool too. And the more that we reuse the more we reduce. I think that if people grow produce at home then it would reduce the plastics that come with those products at the stores too. Even if there is no room for a garden in your yard you can grow more than flowers in window planters. Yes, we should all reuse and reduce and recycle more.

Plastic is a heavily used material now a days. It is commonly used in packaging, hair supplies, etc. Due to the rapid increase in climate change more companies have been emerging. they have come up with new ways to reduce the amount of plastic we consume. They have ideas ranging from shampoo and conditioner bars to recycled phone cases to detergent sheets. In order for these products to be made more available to consumers the products must be in stores. The more people by eco friendly products the less expensive and more accessible the products will become. It will also allow people to become more mindful of the products they are buying.

I believe that we can make small steps and changes in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint and our waste.  Instead of throwing out everything we use just one time, we can get creative and find ways to repurpose it.  For example, I turn my old kombucha bottles into flower vases, or use old jars to stores dry foods.  Its a small change, but simple and effective and the more people that do it, the bigger the change.  In relation to recycling, I think there needs to be better education on a local or widespread level, in schools for example, to teach the proper way to recycle, what can and can not be recycled so that people can ensure what they send in to be recycled, is actually recycled.  Its scary how much waste their is, and my family is guilty of producing a fair amount of waste, but will small steps to reduce and reuse as much as we can, it can make a change

I totally agree that there should be better education on how and what recycle because I also question if I'm recycling right. Also, using your kombucha bottles idea is a really great idea and I might do that myself.

I definitely think that we should learn how to reuse and repurpose the things we throw out on a daily. When we finish a drink that plastic used for the bottles usually just gets thrown out after we think it has no more use. However, instead of doing so, we can use those plastic bottles and get creative with them. I have seen YouTube videos on how you can use your plastic bottles to help you start planting your own garden. Useful videos like those need to get out to the public more so people can get interested in those type of "Life Hacks" and try them out for themselves.

I think a lot of people throw away things that are still in good condition and can be reused/donated like clothes that don't fit anymore, old toys, bags that can be reused for shopping, or even random items like pages from an old book that can be used for arts and crafts. Instead of immediately throwing these items away, I think everyone should stop and think about what they can be reused for instead. As for the packaging of items, I think those can be reused as well! Maybe for storing things or even using it as packaging again.

Many more items each day can either be reused or recycled. It is so simple and would help decrease the carbon footprint. I see many paper things that can be recycled in trashcans. I think that if more people took the time to decide weather an item of trash can be recycled or not, that would help. A way that we can reuse more is to get reusable bags. When you go to the grocery store, bring reusable bags so you don't have to get all of the plastic bags. Also, you could reuse Ziploc bags because they can last awhile and they are easy to clean.

I also think that people should take time to decide whether an item can be recycled or not. However, I think a lot of people do not understand what item is supposed to go where. Cities and school boards should make it a priority to teach people the proper way to recycle. People may have a hard time understanding the signs on items without the right education. Also, products that are advertised as recyclable or compostable may not be 100% compostable. For example, although some compostable bags break down at composting facilities, many, despite the claim will not fully compost in bins, piles, or composting facilities. This makes the process very confusing for people accustomed to throwing everything in the waste bin, and they tend to give up on sorting all their garbage. I believe cities should have programs or brochures sent to everyone in the area promoting proper recycling/composting, included with all the appropriate steps.

I think that there is a much better way than just throwing something away or dropping it in a recycling bin when we are done with it. There are many things that we can reuse without us even knowing it. I think that it will be much better if each one of us uses something again when we are done than throwing it away. For example a box, we could use it to package something else that we won't need for a while and put it away. I think we should all try to reuse at least one thing in a week.

Yes Yes Yes! Things like packaging take a lot of time, resources, and water to both make/meltdown. The plastic bags that we use during our day-to-day life can take as much as 1000 years to decompose, and depending on the environmental conditions, styrofoam can take millions of years to become one with the earth again. Personally, my family doesn't throw away plastic grocery bags at first, but we reuse them to line our trash cans before we throw them away. There are also some types of arts and crafts that you can make with spare plastics at home!

yes i totally agree, people throw away things way too quickly. If i ever have a p

i accidently posted what i was writing but let me continue. I was saying i totally agree, people throw things away way too quickly, for example plastic bottles. these should be something that you reuse for a long time, there is no need to be buying so many bottled waters so often. Another big polluter is the clothing industry, they are constantly burning fossil fuels to keep their factories running, which is being released into the atmosphere and warming our earth. We all need to start wearing are siblings old clothes, buying from thrift and consignment stores. constantly buying from fast fashion companies only makes them more money to continue mass producing clothing, which is polluting the atmosphere.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. These are the three r's we were all taught about in elementary school. What is their importance and what on earth do they have to do with carbon footprints? The three r's are essential to the goal of lowering carbon footprints and while many people know about these three r's, not many people make an effort to incorporate them into their daily lives. When we reuse and recycle, we are actively working to make a difference by trying to work with what has already been manufactured, with reducing, it's more of a preventative step, how can you reduce the amount harmful carbon emitters that you use in your daily life? What are some ways we can think about that can help us lower carbon footprints and use the three r's?

I agree with chlaireasaurusrex response because I also learned the three r's (reduce,reuse, recycle) in elementary school. The three r's will help the entire world if everyone follows the three words attached. The first word reduce is important for us because we can apply this to almost anything we do that requires waste. For example, to reduce excess water waste, we can take shorter showers or turn the running water tap off when we are brushing our teeth. The second word reuse can be applied to our lives not all the time but has a greater positive affect. For example, we don't have to always buy new clothes, we can instead reuse clothes from older siblings or other people in our lives. This will lower our carbon footprint emission to go to a store and lower the carbon emission that is produced from the production of fiber and fabric. Lastly, recycle which can be incorporated with all the r's listed. For example, we can used recycled paper for homework instead of new paper. This can also be a form of reuse as we are taking a recycled paper and reusing it. The three r's are very important and will greatly help the world!

Yes, i agree that the three R's are essential to reducing your carbon footprint. they are simple yet effective, and easy to integrate into your everyday lifestyle. personally, my family tries our best to follow the three R's, we reduce by trying not to buy anything with too much packaging and also using things like water bottles and containers which we can simply wash and use again. we also try to reuse stuff like plastic bags and jars which after we've used them to their extent, we then recycle. i also think its smart that we're taught the three R's in elementary school, cause being taught this at a very young age helps us integrate it into our everyday lifestyle.

I love that we're talking about the big 3 R's of reducing, reusing, and recycling and their importance! When I was working on waste-sorting a few years back, we always added in a fourth for Rot (we usually used it in reference to compost). Later, at a climate conference, a presenter brought up the idea of Refusing, as in refusing to buy into overconsumption and fabricated "needs" in the first place, and I thought it was a great idea. I liked Claire's consideration of the connection between carbon footprints, the three R's, and education. It's also important to note that when we're looking to decrease our carbon footprints using the three R's, we should go in order: first trying to refuse, then reuse, recycle, and lastly let things rot - like Silas was explaining his family did - and to use them in conjunction like Eldrick mentioned. I'm happy this conversation is being had and that we're able to implement what we were taught at a young age in our current everyday lives.

Instead of buying brand new clothes people should buy used clothes. Not only does it save money, but it is environmentally friendly. Often the clothes are in good condition and it is a good way to expand the clothes' lifetime. Though the person who bought it has stopped using it someone else might need it.

i agree to this

yea i think going to goodwill or a local thrift store is definitely better for the environment because you're not wasting as much fabric and energy used to make the clothes, and one mans trash is another mans treasure.

Yes, I don’t know why but society makes us think that we have to always have the latest clothes and expensive shoes that are the same as regular, not as priced shoes.

Also, it’s dumb how you can impress your friends just because you’ve got a Gucci belt or the latest Nike shoes that are overpriced and feel the same as a regular belt and shoes. Plus it can help reduce your carbon footprint.

I agree. I get many clothes that were previously used by my older sisters or neighbors. I reuse these clothes and donate the clothes that I no longer want. Donating good quality clothes that you've either outgrown, or just don't want anymore is a great way to reuse materials and is beneficial to the environment.

Yeah, I definitely agree - this is a really good way for someone to be able to reduce their carbon footprint. I think it's really important that people start wearing their clothes for longer and then reusing them or donating them when they can't wear those clothes anymore. The biggest challenge with this would probably be just getting people out of the mindset that they have to always buy the newest trending clothing just to look fashionable for a short period of time. If people just wore their clothes longer and then reused them after it would help the environment a lot.

Yes, I agree that we should wear our clothes for a longer periods of time before throwing them out and when we do, I believe that we should donate them so someone else in need can wear them. This would reduce our carbon footprint by a lot, helping the environments and saving us a lot of money over time.

I agree with this sentiment. Fast fashion and the lack of reusing clothes is a huge problem when regarding pollution. And the simple solution is to wear clothes longer and to reuse clothes when given the chance. I feel like as of the moment society has developed in a way where we don't appreciate the value of certain items and clothes is definitely one of them.

Yes, I agree donating clothes and buying donated clothes would help the world with pollution and also save money.

Wow i totally agree! If everyone donated and thrifted we could make such a difference!

I 100% agree and I think that it would really help reduce the impact on our environment.

If we bought used clothes this would help the environment very much! Great idea!

I think I will take spare lots of resources for the environment which is a great idea

This is definitely something that people should start doing more, as it sames time, energy and resources with the only cost being slightly used clothes.

I agree with this and often the clothes you find at thrift stores can be in good condition. This is a good example of reusing our resources to help decrease the carbon footprint. Also, clothes are good for a while so why are so many people buying more clothes that they don't end up wearing? What do you think would happen if everyone donated their clothes?

I also agree, I work at an upscale thrift store where we actually pay money for people to donate their clothes that are brand names and in good condition. We then price it at an affordable price! Especially buying stuff already worn it can be more comfortable and at a discounted price so it helps you and the enviorment!

I completely agree! Fast fashion is a big issue in the world, but people's greediness gets the best of them. Always try to hand down clothes or buy them off someone else! Even better, give it to a thrift store.

I agree that people should buy used clothes instead of new ones. Maybe even wear hand me downs. Although I haven't worn many hand me downs or used clothes, I feel that we all should reuse clothes by donating the clothes we have outgrown or don't want anymore. This can also be a great way to help out the less fortunate and at the same time reducing our carbon footprint.

I definitely agree with the idea of popularizing thrift stores/ second hand shops over mainstream fast fashion companies, especially considering that those large factories not only pollute our environment and atmosphere, but are known to have their clothes produced by incredibly underpaid minorities in developing countries. The idea of buying and donating from thrift stores really works with the idea of "reusing and recycling" as you're shopping sustainably and ethically, and donating your clothes helps give back to and supply that community, especially for those who rely on these stores as an affordable place to shop.

I agree! When consumers throw away clothing in the trash, it wastes money, resources and pollutes our earth. The clothing in landfill takes 200 or more years just to decompose. Not to mention the textiles generate greenhouse methane gas, leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil. 

The craze about secondhand shopping/ thrifting is satisfying. Not only are you saving money but you are saving the environment as well. Often people don’t get full use with clothing while the condition is fairly new. I can admit I'm guilty of not wearing clothes that I have bought recently, but I try to donate it and or give it to friends because I know they’ll enjoy it more then I would've ever had.

I too agree! Although before we are able to popularize thrift stores, I think we need to remove the stigma around used clothing. Alongside popularizing thrifting we need to start spreading awareness about fast fashion and its effects on the earth. Over 10,000 items of clothing are sent to the landfill EVERY 5 minutes. Additionally, we need to buy less and be more mindful of the quality of clothing we buy, so each item can last longer. Focusing on the quality of clothes not only lessens your carbon footprint but can also save you money in the long term.

I think this is such a bug contributor, fast fashion causes so much harm !!! I think that we must be conscious when buying from thrift stores and second hand stores to not take advantage as some people resell the clothes they find and sell them for twice the price. When many BIPOC communities rely on thrift stores as their only way to get clothes.

I think it is important to reuse anything you can. Especially if it's metal, but for other things if you're not going to reuse it, then recycle. If you can't recycle, at the very least throw it in the garbage. Don't be lazy. It isn't helpful to anyone, it just makes things harder. Don't litter.

I think there is a better way to use things when we are done with them. To extend the "lives" of our items we can donate and give others the chance to use them. This extends the life of the product because it doesn't get thrown away and a new person gets to use it. I think there are many other ways for us to reuse and recycle products and it is so easy, but still some people choose not to recycle or reuse their boxes to package something else. Another product that people don't really reuse are plastic water bottles. These can be used more than once and if you know that you will only use it once then maybe you could invest in something that you know you will use more then one time. So in conclusion I think that there are many ways to reuse and recycle, but we have to be more mindful of how much we are throwing away and trying to use that in another way.

After completing the survey I realized that my Purchases number was large. Spending my paychecks on unneeded items has become a huge problem of mine. I recently started working at a thrift store so basically my paycheck is spent on all clothes. I try my best to not support fast fashion and shop recycled clothes and second hand. It not only saves money but, helps the environment.

I totally agree with you! I think clothes are something we put often times put on the back burner and don't think about. It has a significant impact that we can change for the better if we look into more sustainable clothes.

This is possibly the easiest thing anyone could change in their life in order to make an impact. Everyone is capable of reusing or at the very least recycling their plastic and paper products, but it is still obvious how many people choose not to recycle.

I agree! Something that I struggled with and am still thinking through is the phrase being passed around in the sustainable world witch is "zero waste". It is impossible to be zero waste and there is no way around it especially where I am living. Learning about what recycling means was my next step because it allowed me to live and make necessary purchases while being conscious of my impact. But again, it is impossible to recycle everything because some places do not recycle what we think can be recycled. The most important thing I have learned is reusing (using my own water bottle instead of buying hundreds of plastic ones, shopping second hand, keeping containers, etc.)which is not a very big change to my life but makes a big impact on how much and what goes into my trash. Through the mindset of limiting my waste and being conscious of my purchases, where they are coming from, and where they will go, rather than the impossible standard of cutting my waste completely, I have become a more eco-friendly person. Of course, I am not perfect but I hope in my lifetime there will be better ways to be more sustainable and the best thing we can do is do our best and inform others about what we learn along the way!

I also agree that everyone is capable of reusing many household items after their intended use is expired. Additionally, reusing items can lower the amount of landfill waste and the number of new products purchased.

I agree as well, since it really takes very little effort to recycle in general. Plus, reusing resources when able to is sometimes easier than getting something new, like reusing a water bottle more than once. Additionally, I think recycling food and using it for compost(of course, if it can be used for that) is a great idea. Especially since it leads to less waste.

reuse and recycle

I think we need to get more resourceful with the reusing the things we throw away and see them in some instances as not just trash. My family recently started composting for our garden, which has been a great way to reuse all of our old food scraps for fresh soil. Recently, I heard the state of Vermont made a law saying all scraps must be composted, which I think is a step in the right direction. What do you guys think about seeing our waste as a potential resource rather than more trash for a landfill?

When I calculated my carbon footprint, I realized that my family throws out a lot of waste each week. Normally, our trash bin is full on trash day and contains 3-4 garbage bags.  To reduce my family's waste, I plan to recycle more and begin composting fruits and vegetables.

Reccycling and reuseing would help us not waste as much.

I agree. Recylcing and reusing is very important. There are some easy things that people can do to reuse things to lessen their carbon footprint. For example, reuse ziploc and other plastic bags. They can last a long time and are easy to clean. You can also reuse pens. There is no need to waste more plastic and buy pens when one runs out of inc. It is very easy to buy replacement cartridges.

Everyone needs to recycle and reuse because it provides an excellent environmentally preferred alternative to other waste management methods because it reduces air water and land pollution.

I agree to what you're saying about the goodness coming from recycling and reusing for an excellent environmentally preferred alternative to other waste management because it reduces air and land pollution. But how does reducing and recycling(scientifically) reduce air and land pollution? Perhaps doing some research for how these reduce air and land pollution can help clarify what I'm asking.

The thing about this statement is that not everything can be recycled or reused so what should be the soultion to that ?

Recycle and reuse what you can. Then with the rest of the stuff contact your local recycling provider and see you can bring stuff in to be transformed into other useful things such as egg cartons and vents.

There are other ways that might be better such as reusing items like cups and plates. even taking your own shopping bag every time you go shopping might be a possibility of a better way.

What are some other solutions besides resuing ?

if there was a better way don't you think we would have been using it by now?

I feel as though repurposing is a great way to take the items that you would throw away, and make them useful. Reusing would also be a great way to reduce the amount of garbage that gets thrown out.

I personally feel like that there really isn't a btter way to get rid of stuff besides recyling. I feel this way becasue you could to repurpose stuff your self but all your soing is using more energy which defeats the whole purpose.

We can reuse the items before we throw them away so then we can get the best use out of that item. Also we wouldn't be purchasing the same thing over and over again so often.

What items could we reuse?

When people recycle the plastic they use, the plastic is used for better things like more permanent objects, which is better than staying in the ocean and polluting it. Also when people recycle plastic, it's used for other things so the amount of oil gets repurposed so there's no waste there.

What other things can plastic be used for?

It could always be used on another date

I'm not sure what you mean by how we it can always be used on another date. Could you elaborate to what you're saying so I can a better understanding to what you're meaning? Maybe you could give some examples for how you can apply this meaning forward?

Even though it's tempting to throw things away, there's a better way to keep as many items as you can and reuse as many times as possible. Extending the lives of items we buy and use is beneficial to our own money and environment,  plus your carbon footprint. When you don't reuse, you spend more on brand new things. I can donate my clothes instead of throwing them away, or reuse plastic bottles instead of recycling. I could also cut the plastic that comes with cans when you buy packs before throwing them away because they hurt the animals. Another thing I could do is bring my own cups, tupperware, etc. to places like restaurants.

In order to extend the "lives" of the items we can keep re suing the item if it's plastic. For example a good shopping bag from the mall can be re used instead of being thrown away. And you can try storing anything in there until it rips apart.

There is a better way. We can use the things we buy in a different way like reusing. Ex: Like a can of corn you bought and used, you can reuse it to make it pot for a plant. The packaging we can use to store other stuff inside of them. Ex: box tops, extra water bottles. The other stuff we use we can recycle, because when you recycle you can convert that product into something new and better and not be wasteful of it. Ex: paper can be paper again or into a computer.

Everyone throws away things that can be repurposed without realizing it. Ways we can extend lives of items is reusing the packaging. For example glass jars that have had jam in them can be reused for cups or to put stuff in.

Instead of throwing things away or putting it in a recycling bin you could always reuse and item. Say reuse a container of butter for left overs.

Reusing and repurposing objects and clothes and countless other things have a large impact. Be it small things like using that tiny scrap of paper you have left from an art project in a journal, or giving up old clothes that don't fit you anymore to friends who can wear them or even bringing them down to a donation thrift store like Goodwill. Any of these small acts can seriously help our environment and help some other people and you, bring their/your carbon footprint/s down.

Recycling should become a part of our new habits so we can help save the environment from further pollution.
Together we can beat pollution!

Recycle and repurposing should be a priority if we want to stop climate change. With the help of Governments around the world we can put tighter restriction around recycling and greenhouse gas emission to hopefully preserve the world.

There are many things we can reuse but not many realize it! For example, clothes that you can send to goodwill or any thrift store for other people to use if you don't need it anymore, plastic bags to use to store meals, and paper bags.

If people reused things more they would be buying less which would help the environment. You can donate old clothes or other items to people or places like Goodwill. If people did this more it would help significantly.

There’s a lot of things in our  daily lives that we can reuse or repurpose, but instead we throw it out. For example, we can reuse cardboard boxes, turn old credit cards into guitar picks, and maybe even get a little crafty and turn plastic spoons into a lamp.  There’s so many ways an item can be reused to help  the environment.

Many things can be reused that we use in our day to day life. The cardboard from toilet paper can be used for arts and crafts during quarantine and old clothes you never wear can be turned into something completely new. There are simple things that can create an impact on the environment with just a little bit of creativity.

Many things can be reused that we use in our day to day life. The cardboard from toilet paper can be used for arts and crafts during quarantine and old clothes you never wear can be turned into something completely new. There are simple things that can create an impact on the environment with just a little bit of creativity.

My Family usually tries sell/giveaway or invent new things out of things we don't use anymore. For example today my mom gave away my old drawer that was broken and used. She also sold my brothers because his was in good condition. It always helps to make an effort to reuse a

While we don't notice it at the moment, there will be a time where planet Earth runs out of valuable resources. We have to try our best to reuse these materials so we can stall this eventual crisis. One way is too reuse or donate clothing. Instead of throwing it away, you can donate it to a thrift store like Goodwill where people who look for cheaper items can buy it. You could also try using renewable materials as much as you can. These materials can be recycled and used for another renewable product later on.

I think that reusing and repurposing items is very beneficial to the environment as well as in saving money. It saves energy, resources, and money just by doing something relatively easy.It lowers the greenhouse emissions coming from just doing daily tasks. America specifically has a trash problem, seven pounds of waste are accumulated per person every day which 90% is then sent to an incinerator. This just causes more pollution and doesn't even make the waste disappear.

There are many things around your house that can be reused or given a new purpose. Donating unnecessary clothes, toys, furniture, and other items to thrift stores can reduce the amount that ends up in the trash. By doing this other people can give those certain items a new purpose and can use them for their needs. This way you can help someone in need instead of wasting useful things. Plastics, aluminum cans, and other materials can be recycled and given a new purpose as well. Not only that but they can be used in school projects or finding new ways to decorate your room. Instead of wasting things, we can give them a new purpose. We just have to be creative!

I think composting is a good way to reuse extra things. All sorts of things can be used to compost, from leftovers to fallen leaves. Composting is beneficial to the environment as well. One reason for this is because it reduces the amount of methane, a greenhouse gas, is released into the atmosphere. Another reason is because it is an important factor of the nitrogen cycle.

Living in a household with immigrant parents you are typically taught to not throw stuff away. You are taught that everything you use has a different purpose beyond what it was intended to be made for. I have learned to reuse many items, use items for different purposes, and  donate old clothes and other items.

Living in an asain household, I was taught not to throw stuff away unless it reaches its needs/ potential. Like for example, I finished a box of cereal and i’m about to throw away, but my parents used the box as a pot or border for the garden. Even using plastic bottle my family found ways to use them too. Preserving other sauces or even holding on to extra cooking oil that we don't use while cooking for other recipes. Sometimes when we throw tables away, we don't actually throw em away we ask our relative if they want to keep incase they need it for their own use.

At home, there are many things you can do to reuse something you no longer have a use for. You can donate old clothes, appliances, and pretty much any other item you have to a thrift shop. This guarantees the item will find a new home and be reused. You can make fun art projects or decorate things with plastic items or recycled paper. The internet is a great place to get ideas!

I never thought of reusing items for things like decoration, but now I realized how good of an idea it is. I usually thought of reusing items for things like storage, because it could be really useful in some households. You are definitely right about being able to find ideas on the internet because things like social media exist.

My mom reuses plastic bottles and makes them into plant pots, which I think is a great idea. This not only helps decrease plastic pollution, but also decreases overall pollution because plants, especially trees, can greatly decrease CO2 levels.

The three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) can greatly decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses let out into our atmosphere. Following the three R’s not only benefits the environment, but also benefits you. Reducing the amount of plastic you buy that eventually ends up as waste will save you money and reduce the demand for plastic will decrease its production. Reusing waste or plastic reduces the need to harvest new material which can also greatly reduce pollution. It also saves energy and money, and allows products to be used to their fullest extent. Like reusing, recycling will reduce the need to harvest material which will have the same effects as above.

From plastic bags to paper, reusing our waste can be a big benefit not only for the environment, but also for us. When we don't recycle or reuse, these items can end up in places like the ocean where it could affect marine life and sometimes even humans in harmful ways. By reusing items, we don't only prevent destruction in environments around us, but we also save more resources for others. Next time you think of throwing something away in the trash, think of some different ways you could reuse that item for yourself, or recycle it so it could be used by others. For items like clothes, you could try donating them, so that they could be used by someone else who needs them.

Fast fashion is the mass production of cheap, poor quality, disposable clothing, and sometimes made by cheap labor also called "sweatshop". Sweatshops are factory/workshop in the clothing industry where workers are employed at very low wages for long hours under poor conditions. Fast fashion was created just to be up with the trends. A limitation to fast fashion is that sweatshops have an environment that the workers are exposed to hazardous things which leads to hurting the environment as well because the workers would use toxic chemicals often used to create vibrant designs and also harms the workers. The toxic chemicals are also dumped into rivers and soils in nearby areas. Most of these fast fashion products end up in landfills leaving it with no use. Some brands either burn their products and don't even donate them. Shopping for second-hand and sustainable brands is a better solution because obsolete clothing is coming back as trendy.

Fast fashion has many drawbacks, including exploitation of foreign labor and treatment of workers, but I want to discuss it's role in throw away culture. Fast fashion has made clothes cheap and accessible for many but has done so by manufacturing a need for excess in many countries. For example, it has made launches and releases of new clothes drop just hours after more expensive retailers drop their new designs. Not only is the production of these clothes wasteful in terms of water use but it has also raised the average throw-away stats in places such as the UK and America.The clothes are then taken to land fills and the cheap fabric usually leaves the pieces and useless cloth. Buying second hand or investing money in sustainable brands are a great alternative.

My family and I try to wash restaurant/take-out containers and use it to store food in our fridge & pantry and we try to avoid throwing away that packaging. We also reuse plastic grocery store bags for lining our trash cans and we also have organized sections of bags to use in the future. Reusing and repurposing definitely requires a significant amount of effort but everyone should do what they can. I’ve heard that it is better when loads of people are practicing something imperfectly (re-using & repurposing) as opposed to having a small group practicing something perfectly. To avoid getting rid of clothes too quickly; mend old clothing and if you can afford it/can’t mend - pay for it to get fixed, this is an investment. Obviously old clothes can also be used as reusable rags, or as clothing for specific situations (painting, or other messy situations).

Doing things like using paper bags rather than plastic ones or recycling your plastic water bottles can really help the environment. Everything, even the little stuff, matters. That wrapper that you don't pick up could eventually end up in the ocean with the rest of the plastic and would only add to the pollution.

I think that we should definitely try to make an effort to reuse our waste and give it more than one purpose. Some ways people might try to reuse items can be reusing your plastic straws or investing in a metal straw, switching to a reusable water bottle and reusing the plastic as a container for something else or a plant pot (this works for any type of plastic container). You can compost your food waste like peels, seeds, dead leaves, paper, etc. On the topic of paper, you can use the blank side of scrap paper when taking notes or drawing, as opposed to using a brand new sheet. Some people have even started to reuse paper by making their own sheets using paper scraps and dying it different colors!

There are many ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprints. Our earth is warming up and one of the main causes are because of the greenhouse gases that we are causing. These greenhouse gasses are caused by burning up fossil fuels, factories releasing carbon dioxide, creating cement, traveling on an airplane, using cars and more. To release those we can try to be more vigilant with our daily usage of these stuff. For example if you were planning to go to your local supermarket for some light groceries try biking there instead. You can get both exercise and errands done. For driving, you should try to buy a hybrid or electric car. It does not have to be a new flash car but car that will not put more harm. Another great idea is to use cloth bags. Although they are manufactured and do cause some harm in the making they are reusable for e avery long time. A great alternative for buying jams and other similar substances is to bring your own jars and have a dispenser to fill it up. Remember that each person's intake on this has a great impact no matter how little you are doing.

You should repurpose everything you have. Plastic bags should be reused until its ripped or broken. You should opt for bringing your own reusable sturdy bags when shopping. When you are done wearing your clothes you should repurpose it by donating them or if they aren't worth donating, then use as a rag.

You can just re-use your plastic bags to reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean, which is kind of like a plastic stew at this point. You could also re-purpose some of your old things and give them to someone else, it would be better to give it to someone who would appreciate it the most, so that they would use and re-use it, an example could be giving it to a homeless person, or selling it to a thrift store or goodwill, as then someone that likes it would pick it out and use it more.

We can buy items such as reusable bags and water bottles or donate old clothes to the homeless so it doesn’t go to waste. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

There are a lot of ways that we can reuse items that we automatically threw away. Plastic bags can be used more the once, or instead just buy reusable bags, recycling cans is a pretty common one, buying used clothes from thrift stores not only helps raise good money but  can also be environmentally friendly. Instead of buying one use products, try and buy reusable items. This can end up saving you money in the long run and can also help your carbon footprint.

There are many different ways to reuse things. Thinking outside the box and being creative will help you think of ways you can reuse.

There are many ways to help our environment, such as using reusable bags, shopping  responsibly, composting, using less paper, and in general recycle, reuse, and reduce products in order to have a positive impact on our environment.

There are a lot of items that people tend to throw away when they could be reused for many different purposes. People should start trying to buy reusable products as well. For example, my family uses metal water bottles instead of plastic ones and cloth bags instead of plastic ones. Also, when we find really old clothes that can’t be worn anymore, we repurpose them as rags that we use to clean things around the house. Another thing people should try doing is buying used clothes and donating old clothes to charities. By doing this instead of buying new clothes all the time, a person could probably reduce their carbon footprint by a significant amount.

I definitely think that we could do a better job of just reusing everything possible. Glass jars, bags, cardboard, etc. Once you have used it as much as possible then definitely recycle, if you can.

I feel that we should do a better job at trying the reuse everything possible and not let it get thrown away, ones trash could be anothers treasure. Shouldn't use plastics should use alturnatives to better the environment.

There are so many ways we can reuse everyday items to decrease air, water, and land pollution. One very common way we can do this is reusing plastics. According to plastic-pollution.org "The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP), estimated that land-based sources account for up to 80 percent of the world's marine pollution, 60 to 95 percent of the waste being plastics debris." We can slow this down by using metal water bottles instead of throwing out plastic ones. Another simple way to reuse plastics is using paper or reusable grocery bags instead of using the small plastic bags that are given at the store that you can only use one time. One last way you can decrease plastic usage is to avoid using plastic straws. Metal straws are a great alternative as well as going totally straw-less. We need to take action now so we have enough time to save the Earth! Reducing plastic will help save the environment and save many animals that live in the sea.

http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org … astic.html

I completely agree with your comment. I also think that it is very important to try and reuse items we already have as opposed to buying new ones. Another way we can cut down on carbon emissions is by buying secondhand clothing or thrifting. According to Kinder one cotton shirt that costs around 5 dollars requires 2700 liters of water to produce. This is a lot especially considering that people do not always wear their shirts that often. I think that people overlook how serious a problem the fast fashion industry has become. The industry also emits 10 percent of the global carbon emissions, which is more than international flights and maritime shipping and produces 21 billion tons of waste each year. Buying secondhand ensures that fewer resources are used and wasted.
Sources:
https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting … ur-wallet/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/book … lanet.html
https://kinder.world/articles/problems/ … long-18769

I also feel very strongly about this topic of decreasing or at least reusing all the plastic on the Earth. Many people overlook how much plastic is on our earth because it seems like too much work to fix, or they think plastic is indispensable. However, there are so many alternatives to plastic. I agree with your statement of using metal water bottles because they last a very long time and when you do need to throw them away they are easily recycled into new metals without degrading as easily. According to National Geographic, “The same piece of plastic can only be recycled about 2-3 times before its quality decreases to the point where it can no longer be used.” On the other hand, Make the most of waste says, that most metals don’t have a limit on how many times they can be recycled, making them a much better alternative. Plastic is also a big issue when it comes to ocean pollution and the health of marine life in bodies of water all over the world. About 10% of the world’s plastic is in the ocean, and more is being dumped each day.

https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/201 … recycling/
https://www.makethemostofwaste.co.nz/re … -recycled/
https://plastic-pollution.org/

I agree with you. People shouldn't be so wasteful and do their best to conserve resources.

I don't know why but when most my friends throw away a plastic bottle they automatically think to throw it in the trash. When I throw away a plastic bottle I always been conditioned to put it in recyclable bin. I recommend before you throw something away to please always think about if the item is recyclable or can even be reused. Little things like this is what we need to save our planet.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics#Benefits

i think recycling is a very important thing many people myself included forget to do or neglect to do out of laziness or not thinking to do it at the time. there are millions of pounds of trash all over the world and recycling could be a start to fixing that

I completely agree with that, I think that gradually starting recycling for those who have never done it could help our planet, we must sort our waste well and thus save our planet.  it will not happen overnight, of course, but we are changing our habits little by little we can do great things

You can reuse the plastic, but it harms the health of a person because some plastics are not able to take the heat making the chemical come out and will be harmful to drink from the plastic bottle.

I've never understood this either. Plastic has proven to be harmful to the environment, especially the ocean. Over 300,000  marine animals are being harmed or killed due to the amount of plastic in the ocean. This harm can be caused by many different factors such as ingestion of the plastic or an entanglement in plastic debris.

Citation:
https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazi … eat-oceans

The next time you go to throw an empty bottle in the trash, stop to think about what you're doing to the environment. When we don't recycle it calls the need to refine and process raw materials which hurts the environment by creating air and water pollution. According to epa.gov, reusing supplies can help save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, and overall help defeat climate change. It really isn't that difficult to reuse and recycle, plastic bottles or cans are great for school projects. Also, instead of getting rid of old clothes you could donate them to your local center. Especially during these challenging times, reusing and recycling is extremely important. Not only are people in need, but the world is too.

When you look at the materials you get from your day to day items, it can total more than what can be recycled. Things like egg cartons, compost cups, and hard plastic cups that don't have any identification can be used for more than their intended purpose. An example would be egg cartons that are used to start seed growth before planting them in the ground. Below is some information on recycling and reusing items.

https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/ti … ycle-right

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6509/1314

Can y'all think of a way we can both be safe and yet not generate so much plastic?

Climate change is a serious problem facing humanity and we need to find ways to lower our carbon footprint. By reusing and repurposing, supply demands for these products are decreasing, and there’s an overall cut-down of waste. While it seems easy to throw out things you no longer want, you can find a way to donate it or give it to someone else who can find a use for it. We need to change our daily habits if we want a greener future for future generations.

When we purchase items from the store such as milk, fruits and many boxed or canned items, they all come with plenty of packaging. When many of us finish using the items, all of the packaging gets thrown away and will end up in the landfill or at the recycling places. If every person would take time to find a different use for the packaging after it's been used and cleaned, there would be a lot less waste ending up in landfills. For instance when you finish drinking all the milk, you could use the milk carton for a bird feeder. Or for example when you finish eating all the fruit from the plastic container, you could use it for storing different items.

Yesss Grace! There are many ways to reuse old household items. It’s a good way to get creative with younger kids and to create indoor or outdoor projects. Lots of amazing ideas are posted and shared around to promote repurposing used objects. I think more big solutions like thrifting should keep being presented as a way for our world to move forward in a more sustainable way. :-)

Climate change has always been a big problem and a way to lower our carbon footprint is to reuse and repurpose. According to www.epa.gov, some benefits of reusing and reducing are that it prevents the pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest raw material, it saves energy, it reduces greenhouse emissions that contribute to climate change and saves money. Throwing away items you don’t need seems easier than reusing or repurposing them and that most likely the reason most of us just throw stuff out. If you don’t have a use for an item you could donate it and maybe someone else could find a use for it.

About the initiative to reduce waste and consume responsibly, it seems to me a great idea that all people should implement in all aspects of their lives because it is what most affects the soil and the sea, and there´s where all of our waste ends. I believe that it is also very important that companies produce responsibly and with greater interest in the environment and future generations. Like business owners who care more about the practicality and speed of materials that remain on Earth for many years.

Oftentimes, when people think about reuse and repurpose, their minds go straight to recycling paper, and buying reusable water bottles. While both of those things are very important, it is time to dig a bit deeper. Rather than buying clothes from first hand corporations every time there is a new trend, thrift your clothes. Thrift stores are places to shop for used clothes, and the purpose of these stores is to stop clothes from going to waste. Thrifting is one of the easiest and most fun ways to repurpose something. Unfortunately not enough people are thrifting, so thrift stores often find themselves having to throw away clothes anyway because they run out of space. According to Huffpost, "One New York City Salvation Army store received about five tons per day in 2012" (Huffpost). Supporting manufacturing  businesses is horrible for the environment because the production of clothing uses an obscene amount of resources. For example, the production of one single pair of jeans uses about 1800 gallons of water (SERC). By thrifting, one could find a pair of jeans for a lower price, same quality, and less of a carbon footprint. To wrap up, clothing production is harmful to the Carbon footprint and environment, so a simple step for the future is to start thrifting and reusing clothes because there only positive effects.

Sources: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fast-fas … _n_5798612
https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting … ur-wallet/

I agree, although reusing and repurposing paper and plastic products has a positive impact, people often overlook the amount of carbon emissions are produced by the fast fashion industry. An article by the telescope states that if everyone in the U.S. recycled their clothes for a year it would have the same impact as taking all of L.A.'s cars off the road for the same amount of time. Clothing that is not sustainable wastes valuable resources, such as water, and contributes to lower wages for people working in clothing factories. There are plenty of clothes that are already produced and ready to be worn, and they are cheaper and more sustainable than all of the fast fashion being produced at this moment. Thrift stores ensure that clothing will be put to good use, and both buying and selling clothing from and to these stores could have a drastic positive impact on the environment.

https://www.palomar.edu/telescope/2020/ … heres-why/

I agree thrifting is an amazing way to reuse clothes that are still in great shape. The clothes that people no longer need are often thrown out and waisted. Donating clothes is a great way to save perfectly good items. An article from the Student Environmental Resource Center of UC Berkeley says that Americans throw away about 10.5 million tons of clothes every year. This can be solved by donations and thrifting clothes that are still in good quality. Thrifting more clothes can also lower your carbon footprint. The Student Environmental Resource Center of UC Berkeley also says that most jeans may have taken 1800 gallons of water to make. They also state that the production of jeans is generated in greenhouse gases which is not good for the environment. Thrifting means buying used clothes instead of buying new ones and causing companies to make more. Thrifting is reusing clothes and getting them at a good price. This could make a difference in the environment

https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting … ur-wallet/

I think that this is a very good point. Clothing production is a huge part in Co2 levels. Buying second hand might seem pointless if you only think about the fact that it was already made, but in reality, that's one less article of clothing that has to be manufactured and thrown away. Thrifting your clothes actually “saves 16.3 million tons” of emissions (Sustainable Brands, 2018). I thrift a lot and have found incredibly good deals on clothes that I end up wearing for a while, so I don’t need to keep buying new ones. Thrifting is a good idea for everyone and saves tons of energy and waste, and carbon emissions.

https://sustainablebrands.com/read/defi … new-report

One of the most important things to do when trying to save the plant earth is Reusing. This is on quality that my family and I can work to achieve this. According to epa.gov reusing supplies can help save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it saves energy. All of the clothes that don't fit my siblings or I, have gone to a donation box. This helps families save money in buying clothes and it is environmental friendly. Another way is reusing glass and plastic which is one thing my family needs to work on. Plastic is harmful to peoples health and is a material that can't break down which is what biodegrade means. I hope in the future I continue to reuse more and more.

To reuse and repurpose you can buy recyclable containers like mason jars or plastic that can be used more than once like Tupperware.  You could also start a composter in your yard to put food scraps and other compostable items then reuse the compost to garden with.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … for%20Home

I completely agree with everything that you just said. I do think that it is important that we also do other things like thrifting clothes, limiting our use of things like single use batteries, and not littering. Well two of the things that I have stated are also under the reuse and repurpose category. Nice post and once again I agree with everything you've said.

There are many ways to reuse and repurpose various items. One example is Ziploc bags. I see many people using Ziploc bags for packed lunches and snacks and then throwing them away. This can easily be avoided - if you wash your Ziploc bag after use and let it dry, it's perfectly fine to use it again. An alternative to this is using Tupperware for traveling food. Another example is getting a reusable water bottle. Reusable water bottles save money in the long run and have a manageable price range. Another thing you can do is donate old clothes rather than throwing them out and thrift new clothes when possible.

According to Eco Watch, the average American throws away about 185 pounds of plastic a year, and only about 35% is actually recycled. Most of it is thrown in with trash and sometimes even compost. Sometimes it doesn't even make it to a bin, it just gets tossed on the ground. The Ocean has turned into a big dumping ground for people to throw their trash, mostly plastics. According to a study that was done in 2019, there are currently more pieces of plastic in the ocean than fish. The most common Plastics found in the ocean are plastic bottles, bags,  and straws. Even though these are considered single-use plastics,  there are many ways to give these items a second life. The best thing to do to help eliminate the amount of plastic is to not buy in the first place. If you do, however, have these items in your house you can re-fill your water bottle, or go shopping with your old plastic bags, you can even rinse and re-use your straws.

https://www.insider.com/litter-worse-th … ery-year-3
https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-cent … uces-year/

Many things can be changed that we do daily to help the environment by reusing things. For example, a very common way to help the environment is owning reusable bags when you shop. Reusable bags save the use of plastic bags so your carbon footprint will decrease. While shopping you should also be aware of what you are buying also, thrifting is positive for the world because it is the reuse of clothing instead of new clothing always being produced.

Source: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … for%20Home
https://environment-review.yale.edu/dec … experiment

In addition to using bags when shopping, it's also good for the environment to bring in your own tupperware when going out to eat instead of using the plastic to-go packaging that a lot of restaurants use. Also, I agree with your statement that thrifting is an efficient way to reuse, because fast-fashion brands are large contributors to the overwhelming amount of clothing found in dumps or landfills. The clothes made by those brands are also made up mostly of synthetics, which are not long lasting, so it forces the customer to buy more products.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/book … lanet.html

One thing that my family does to reduce our carbon footprint is to bring reusable bags anytime we go shopping, whether it is to the grocery store or a clothing store. According to https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/2 … -reusable/, the average American goes through 6 shopping bags per week, which means about 1.8 billion trash bags are being used and thrown away in America every week. When hearing about using a reusable bag, most people think only of bringing them to the grocery store. However, with the emphasis on protecting our planet, there are now a variety of types of reusable bags. Instead of bringing plastic bags filled with snacks to school, people can use reusable snack bags or a reusable container. In addition, bringing a lunch box instead of a paper or plastic bag also cuts down on waste. Lastly, bringing a large reusable shopping bag to a clothing store saves money and plastic and paper bags.

https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/2 … -reusable/

It is very very common, especially among teens and young adults, to throw things away that could easily be reused. Reusing things like mason jars and plastic bags could reduce one's carbon footprint by an exponential amount. The United States Environmental Protection Agency provides suggestions on its website about how to cut down on waste. For schools and students, they offer advice such as to buy recycled school supplies and to take only what you know you need from the cafeteria. Bishop O'Dowd has replaced all of the plastic utensils in their cafeteria with compostable wooden ones. This cuts down every day on the waste that was produced in previous years by plastic utensils. Furthermore, if every school is able to do small things like use compostable utensils the entire country's CO2 output could b drastically lowered. 
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … for%20Home

I agree with this and believe that even though it may seem unlikely that we would make a big difference by small changes, but even the use of mason jars and other items could help the environment a lot. Bishop O'Dowd is also a very healthy and environmentally aware school.

To reuse and repurpose you can buy recyclable containers like mason jars or plastic that can be used more than once like Tupperware.  You could also start a composter in your yard to put food scraps and other compostable items then reuse the compost to garden with. Also Instead of using plastic water bottles, you can buy a reusable water bottle that can last years. These also help reduce plastic waste into the environment. If you store things to make sure you store them correctly because that can make things last much longer than if you just left them out. Another way to reduce is to turn lights off when you aren't using them or turning off the heat if you don't need it. One simple one that can be hard is just putting trash in the right bins if everyone did this there would be a lot more recycling and compost. Using rechargeable items and batteries also help reduce waste.

Sources: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wa … for%20Home

Reuse and Repurpose
We all have very busy lives that take up all of our time. With school, work, sports, family, etc... So when we finish up with something and know we have to throw it away we don't put very much thought into it. We don't process which one has to go in, and we don't think we have the time to learn which one it must go in. But in order to do all the things that we love and have the opportunities to be lucky enough to always be busy, we must protect our dying environment. If every person in the world all of a sudden started making the change correctly it would help everyone so much, and it doesn't even take very much work to do something monumentally helpful. Watch a 5-10 minute video online on where to displace of your trash so that you will have this knowledge for the rest of your life. 5 minutes out of today's busy day can add years to our homes wonderful life!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont … =emb_title

It is well-known that the mass production of plastic negatively affects the Earth. This is due to the fact that most plastic is made to be used once and then thrown away, hence the term "single-use plastic." According to a public PDF from the United Nations Environment Programme, "The most common single-use plastics found in the environment are, in order of magnitude, cigarette butts, plastic drinking bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, plastic grocery bags, plastic lids, straws and stirrers, other types of plastic bags, and foam takeaway containers." This list of items accurately shows the large role that plastic plays in people's lives and the neglectful attitude that many people have regarding their own plastic use and waste. Although it may seem as if single-use plastics are an ingrained part of our lives, there are many sustainable alternatives to the items on the list. For example, plastic grocery bags can easily be replaced with reusable cloth bags, which are not very expensive and can be used repeatedly over many years. Plastic straws are another item that is detrimental to the environment but can easily be replaced with a more sustainable option. Many drinks can be consumed without straws, which is the easiest option. Metal straws are also available and can be used repeatedly when washed. Many cafes and coffee shops allow people to get drinks in their own tumblers and mugs, which helps reduce waste by a lot. According to the article, plastic water bottles and caps are also found to be huge polluters of the Earth. Reusable water bottles are an easy and sustainable alternative. To reduce the amount of food packaging and foam takeaway containers, the best option would be to shop locally, buy in bulk, and eat more home-cooked meals. Overall, ridding your lifestyle of single-use plastics may seem like an impossible task, but there are many products and small steps that can be taken to reduce one's plastic waste.

link to source: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handl … bility.pdf

It is extremely easy to get hold of plastic water bottles these days given that they have become extremely integrated into everyday life.  Reusable water bottles are extremely good for the earth and come in many different colors and designs, so they are much more exciting than plastic.  When people use plastic water bottles they cease to put them in the recycling bin, instead fill the landfill with plastic.  If everyone recycled one of the plastic water bottles that they used every day those materials could be used to make more than 54 million t-shirts or about 6.5 million fleece jackets according to USA Today.  Not only does using reusable water bottles save the earth it benefits you also, by using them you would save $3000 per year just on water alone according to Earth Day.  When these plastic Water bottles are dropped into the ocean they do not dissolve, they break down into microscopic plastic particles creating pollutants that injure ocean life.  All things considered, using reusable water bottles will save ocean life, our planet and they're pretty cute too.     

Sources:
https://www.earthday.org/money-in-a-bottle/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat … 374773001/

There are many ways to reuse and repurpose objects in the world. The three R’s of the environment is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. These three R’s are to protect the Earth by removing waste. Using reusable water bottles is a huge way to help remove waste from the Earth. If everyone used metal water bottles it would help reduce the amount of plastic in our ocean. Another way to reduce plastic is by using reusable grocery bags. If everyone helped and did these two things it would be a start of helping our Earth. Some ways of repurposing objects such as clothes are hand me downs. This way people would not have to spend money on new clothes and it would not be going to waste. One more object that helps reduce waste is reusable batteries. Many objects in the world require batteries, such as flashlights, tv remotes, calculators, and so many other everyday objects. So instead of using non-reusable batteries people should use reusable ones. If people do not start reusing, recycling, and repurposing objects then the Earth will become dirtier and dirtier. For example, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This garbage patch in the middle of the ocean is the result of not taking care of the Earth very well and not recycling and reusing. If we do not do something soon eventually the whole world will become a huge garbage patch. It should not matter if a person feels even if they recycle it’s not helping the Earth, because even so everyone should do their part in the world and be an example to everyone.
https://www.greenmountainenergy.com/201 … upcycling/

I agree with what you mean and overall purpose, but I do not think that strictly cutting out plastic or use only reusable item will help protect the earth and oceans from pollution. According to Ocean Today, a website by the government and Department of Commerce (https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/trashtalk_w … scomefrom/), most of the garbage in the ocean comes from waste that was intentionally dumped or littered. The remaining trash ends up in the ocean from wind blowing waste out of trash cans that are unsecure, or blowing litter into storm drains. Overall, if waste is not put into a waste basket where it is sure to be handled properly by waste management companies, then it will eventually in some way end up in the ocean. The big picture here is not to be concerned as much about what we are using, although using reusable or recyclable items is very helpful to the environment, but focus more on what we are doing with the materials used. Do you think that the weather that is being affected by climate change will alter how and how much trash gets spread to the ocean?

in my house, we try not to use a lot of nonreusable plastics so that we can try to minimize plastic in the ocean because we know its bad for the environment to use single-use plastics. but when we do use single-use plastics we usually just throw them away right after but one way to help the environment we could refill the plastic bottles we used after finishing them so we can use them more than once instead of just throwing them away and them just causing more damage to the world.

Limiting single-use plastic is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. By resorting to glass containers, we can limit the amount of pollution in our oceans and all the animals hurt by it. I believe we should learn from the past and incorporate those ideas into our society now, such as milkmen. There was a lot less pollution then and some of this caused by the fact that they always used reusable glass rather than plastic. If we were to have milkmen, all the milk bottles would be reused and it would also be great for those who don't want to leave the house! But, if you do use plastic containers, try to reuse them as much as possible.

Plastic that can only be used once can be very bad for the environment. Limiting the amount of the single use plastic can also reduce a lot of unnecessary landfill usage that will reduce the greenhouse gasses being produced causing air pollution. There are many alternative to single use plastics as obvious as reusable plastics that can mean that you can use it again and not cause as many greenhouse gasses.

I agree that avoiding single use plastics is a good way to lower your carbon footprint. In my family, we use items such as reusable water bottles, containers, and shopping bags so that single use plastics are always a last resort.

I agree with gtwitchellBOD3's and _seanramirez_'s idea of minimizing single use plastics. In my household, we try to avoid buying single use plastics that would just go to waste. Whenever we go to the store we always have 2-4 reusable grocery bags in the trunk of the car. According to Plastic Education, "An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year, and they’re ending up in oceans, soils, animals, and rivers." This goes to show how much humans waste but could be fixed with a simple reusable bag. But some plastics are incorporated into products themselves. I think the best way around this is to find alternatives. Another idea that my family does is taking old plastics and putting them into a box in our basement, and over time we eventually find a use for them. But this is just my families solution for single use plastics and there are many other solutions out there that would reduce our carbon footprint.

Plastic education. (2019, December 26). Benefits of using reusable shopping bags. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from
      Plastic education website: https://plastic.education/benefits-of-u … ping-bags/

I agree with all of these statements. Similar to what gtwitchellBOD3 said, my family tries to minimize the amount of single use plastics that we bring into the house and throw away. There are so many positive benefits of substituting  single use plastics to a lifestyle full of reusable items such as glass and other recyclable options. It not only impacts the pollution of the ocean and the animals within it, but it reduces global warming. Landfill usage, which is primarily due to single use plastics and trash, leads to greenhouse gasses. When greenhouse gasses are emitted into the atmosphere, air pollution is caused. As for ocean pollution, the effect of plastic waste is extremely and negatively impactful. For example, from plastic waste alone, 100 million marine animals die annually. If reduced, less animals will die due to pollution and the ocean will be healthier. Overall, minimizing the use of non-reusable plastic's has a positive effect on a global scale and it's important to take that into consideration.

(sources) - https://www.condorferries.co.uk/marine- … tics-facts
https://plastic.education/benefits-of-u … ping-bags/

Minimizing one time use plastics is taking a huge step in saving our earth. Plastic like that not only can only be used one time, but is often the most dangerous kind of plastic for creatures, especially sea creature when it gets washed into the ocean. Even just sorting all your waste right and doing your part to contribute within your household can make a big positive impact on the earth. Knowing how to sort your waste into trash, compost, and recycling is a simple yet very crucial skill to have. Ideally, people should stop buying things that would just go into the trash, but small steps can add up to big changes.

I agree, in my house, we use all glass containers and reusable cups. Plastic can be very harmful to the environment and it pollutes. UN Environment Programme says that millions of tons of plastic are in the ocean and that is very dangerous for sea life. Most of the plastic that we think goes into the recycle ends up in landfills, where it can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Over time it can let off toxic substances into the environment. Recycling and composting are very helpful for the earth because we are sorting out the waste and disposing of it properly. If the things people buy are being thrown away, at least put it in the right bin.

https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and- … g-our-soil

Reusing water bottles can save thousands of dollars per year. It is cost-efficient and has a better impact on the environment. According to Ausburg University, most of the plastic water bottles that people buy are not recycled. This means that they are either going into landfills, being thrown on the streets, or ending up the ocean. All these forms of getting rid of the waste are toxic and are destroying the environment.

Many foods and drinks come in glass jars, from tomato sauce to orange juice. These jars usually get thrown into the trash or recycling when in reality they have much more purpose in your everyday life at home. Glass Jars are easy to clean and they are an effective, sustainable alternative to plastic. Glass jars are a great way to store food because it preserves the freshness of the food and does not emit chemicals found in plastic such as BPA. Mason jars are a very popular way or organizing and storing food. Mason Jars are more expensive and have the same purpose as glass jars from your food. Glass jars have a variety of uses, and will save you money as well as reduce the amount of waste you create.
https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-c … chemicals/

Many foods and drinks come in glass jars, from tomato sauce to orange juice. These jars usually get thrown into the trash or recycling when in reality they have much more purpose in your everyday life at home. Glass Jars are easy to clean and they are an effective, sustainable alternative to plastic. Glass jars are a great way to store food because it preserves the freshness of the food and does not emit chemicals found in plastic such as BPA. Mason jars are a very popular way or organizing and storing food. Mason Jars are more expensive and have the same purpose as glass jars from your food. Glass jars have a variety of uses, and will save you money as well as reduce the amount of waste you create.

A better way than just throwing this away, is to find a way to repurpose them. This includes, cleaning things and reusing them and finding new purposes for the item. For example, if you have a plastic bottle, you can rinse it out and clean it, and use it for more drinks or projects.  By reusing and Repurposing items, you are reducing your carbon footprint, and keeping the environment clean and healthy.

I agree completely, almost everything can be reused and repurposed. One thing that can help feed the desire of getting something "new" is to buy clothing, lamps, and other home appliances from thrift stores. Reusing can also keep plastic out of the oceans. For example, when you get food to take out, you could bring your own plastic container and reusable bottle. For a start, we can begin saving all plastic containers and reusing them to help reduce our carbon footprint.

I agree with what you're saying mostly everything can be reused and repurposed.  it does help reduce your carbon footprint and helps the environment like when you buy something used instead of just buying something new although most people might want to get something new because you think its better-getting something used helps the environment which helps you. because being conscious about what you buy to help the environment which in the long run helps you.

Not only can we reuse our old items, but others can reuse our items too. We can donate old electrical equipment to schools and to community centers. Others could use our old clothes and books. We could give them to friends, or younger family members. We can also give them to organizations. We can also have yard sales to give our items to people that want to use them. We can too give our items to places like Goodwill. If you are not going to use it again, others can reuse it for you.

Link: http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html

I agree that we can reuse our items to help build a more sustainable earth. I agree that we can donate many items to charities which is better than throwing it away. I wonder how many people would rather just throw something away than send it to a charity like a school or Goodwill.

In my household, we use plastic water bottles and usually throw them away after. I think the best way to reuse them is to refill them with filtered tap water and use them when going out. Another thing that we use is plastic bags. We have reusable grocery bags and paper bags, but sometimes I forget to bring them and I get a plastic bag and then just throw it away. When I need to use a plastic bag, I think the best way to reuse them is to keep them and then reuse them for groceries or some other type of bag.

Yes, I agree with reusing plastic bags and my family does this a lot, but I do not believe we should reuse plastic water bottles. This is because when you constantly reuse plastic water bottles, the chemicals used to make the bottle will start leeching out and contaminating the water inside the bottle. This could greatly affect your health. So instead of reusing plastic water bottles, it would be financially cheaper, ecologically safer, and safer for your health if you would buy a metal water bottle that could be reused.
Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/reusing-plast … ds-1204028

This has been a problem forever. Reusing is usually always the answer but we can also not use anything plastic at all. buying a metal water bottle. Not only does it save you money but it also eliminates the use of plastic bottles. You can do the same with plastic bags as well.

i agree with people recycling and using reusable grocery bags,reusable water bottles, and metal straws i think it is a good idea to reduce trash in the ocean as well.

In my family we used to used to use lots of plastic bottles. But then the save the turtles campaign came out, we figured we needed to do our part to help save the environment. We stopped buying plastic water bottles all together and each person in my family has there own metal water bottle. One of the things I do is make sure I have that reusable bottle on me at all times. By using and keeping a reusable bottle on me I am able to reduce my plastic waste. If I were to use a reusable bottle consistently, I would save 1,460 plastic bottles a year, since the average person drinks four plastic bottles a day. In terms of plastic bags, my family does pretty good on refraining plastic bag use and we tend to more than likely bring a reusable bag into stores. But there is always that off occasion when we leave our reusable bag in the car and end up using a plastic or paper bag. When this happens we store them in the closet and keep hold of them so if we ever need one we can reuse it. However I disagree with reusing the plastic water bottles because plastic water bottles are meant for a one time use so when you repeatedly use  it, the plastic begins to wear down releasing toxic chemicals in your water.

I completely agree that the best way to reduce plastic waste is to reuse them. In my home, every time we go to the store we bring our own bags that can be purchased at the store. If we have to, we will buy the smaller plastic bags but we reuse them just like the purchasable bags. According to Anthropocene Magazine, if people start to reuse the plastic bags that they purchase we can reduce the number of carbon emissions by 4.9 gigatons by 2050. In addition to reducing the carbon emission, it could even create more jobs for the economy. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that if Wisconsin business and office owners recycled their plastic the industry would be worth more than 41 million dollars.

Here are the websites that I used: https://anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/0 … -not-easy/
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/bags.html

My family reuses and recycles many things, my mom doesn't like buying items with plastic unless she can reuse them for something else. She also uses reusable bags and we all have water bottles, obviously, every family is different. I would suggest being mindful of the items you decide to buy but also to put things in the right bin. Obviously plastic is used in various items but anything that you can do to minimize the amount of plastic you use would improve your carbon footprint dramatically. These changes you make will impact the amount of garbage that goes into the oxygen as well as gas emissions when the plastic is burned, ex.

I agree that reusing water bottles and plastic bags are very good for the environment. Plastic bags and plastic water bottles are some of the most manufactured items in today's world, which makes them harmful. My family also tries to reduce waste by reusing grocery bags and water bottles. Instead of reusing a plastic water bottle, I would suggest getting a metal one that will last forever.

I totally agree with reusing the waterbottles. My family likes to reuse water bottles and paper/plastic bags. Reusing is the best thing for the environment. I love to use reusable water bottles cause you can get really good ones that aren't that expensive and look really cute. Same with bags. My mom has reusable grocery bags that she likes to use. Those are really durable as we have been using the same ones for a long time. I especially think that it is a good time to start reusing because the U.S gets a lot of plastics and metals from outside the country and who knows what will happen if the virus continues.

I agree I think it is important to reduce and reuse plastic in order to help the environment. In my family, we bring reusable bags to the grocery store and try to buy food without plastic wrap. For example, we buy vegetables without containers or plastic wrap and we do not buy pre-cut vegetables (these come in plastic containers usually). We use plastic water bottles, but only for emergencies. In my family, we obtain lots and lots of water bottles that we use on the daily. The plastic water bottles that we do use are always sanitized and then used again. These things my family does definitely help reduce plastic waste, but we can always reduce more plastic waste.

I also agree that it is really important to reuse and reduce. I think that reusing and reducing it a major factor in helping our environment. Just like you, my household also reuses bags. Whenever we go to the grocery store we almost always bring our own reusable bags. If we don't we try to get a paper bag. We then use the paper bag as a thing to put our recyclable items in. Whenever we buy produce we use those small bags to put fruits and vegetables in. We then reuse them to pick our dog's poop. That way we also never have to buy dog poop bags. We also compost all the fruits and vegetables. We then use that compost to grow more fruits and vegetables. Another thing we do is reuse water bottles. In our family, we drink a lot of sparkling water. So we use a SodaStream. According to the website beverage daily using a Soda stream can save over 550 plastic bottles. We drink a lot of it so we probably save even more. If everyone does small things like this, it can lead to a big positive change in our environment. Here is the link to the website https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2 … ttle-waste.

I agree I think that it is important to eliminate the amount of plastic products and waste we use in our household and also in our daily lives. In my family, we reuse plastic bags after we use them because it isn't healthy for our environment if we keep throwing away things that could make this situation worse. But we try to reduce the amount of plastic we use every day.

I agree that plastic water bottles have a negative impact on the environment. Not only does it not decompose, but it is harmful to marine life and uses up a large of energy to break it down. Not only does it take up a lot of energy to melt plastic water bottles, but it also requires a lot to just bottle up the water. According to greenerideal.com, "Bottling water releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually and takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce a year’s supply. That’s enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for the year or power 190,000 homes!" Plastic bottles produce carbon dioxide before and after it's used. This is why my family and I drink out of a reusable metal water bottle, that we could refill whenever we need it. The plastic mostly ends up in the ocean where it could hurt and suffocate oceanic organisms. I do believe in ruse, reduce, and recycle, as it could save many things including lives.

Source: https://greenerideal.com/infographics/t … r-bottles/

I agree that it is always important to eliminate plastic products in our house. Usually, in my house we either recycle or reuse plastic. Something that is even better than recycling is not even using the plastic in the first place. You should use other materials such as metal to use every day instead of plastic. In my family of 5, everyone has a portable water bottle that is metal or a material that isn't plastic, and we reuse it every day.

Many people simply don't Reuse their resources because they don't know-how. There are so many easy ways to do such. For example, you can save any plastic bottles or straws clean them and use them again for water or other beverages. Or if you make pasta instead of dumping that water down the sink you can use it to water your plants. Reusing doesn't have to be about water, you can reuse old towels or blankets or you can simply give them to shelters. Reuse and Repurpose doesn't mean you have to be the one to reuse it. There are often situations where someone can use your old items like baby clothes or clothing you have outgrown. Simply thrift shopping can do a lot to help the environment, plus its often more affordable. These are just a few ways to help the environment, there are so many ways that one can reuse and repurpose.

Link: https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/reuse-everything

I agree I don't really think a lot of people are aware of how to reuse their resources. There are easy ways to reuse the things we have in our home and can also limit the amount of waste we all use. In my house, we try to limit the amount of water we use, like for dishes and how long we take showers. It is a good way to to help the environment by doing the best u can to help these causes.

I think using reusable items is really good for this because people are just throwing bags, water bottles, and more wasteful things and throwing them in the ocean and on the roads which really affect the carbon footprint. Using metal water bottles, metal containers for food, and reusable bags and more things can male the world cleaner and would reduce the carbon foot we have right now. This would also help out the animals that always eat trash in the water and in the land so it can really make positive to everyone.

I agree with your statement. I find it important how you not only talked about the impact of using a lot of trash on the earth, but everything inside it as well. This is affecting not only our environment, but our animals and us humans too. This gives a different perspective and calls great attention to the topic which leads us to seek more information on how to lesson our carbon footprints. For example, when you litter, your trash eventually drifts out into the sea. Sea animals often ingest the trash and it often then blocks their stomach and nutrients. When animals digest trash, it also takes up the nutrients in their bodies. In all, I agree that picking up after yourself will lead to a smaller carbon footprint and a better life for everyone.

https://sciencing.com/effects-littering … 34413.html

I very much agree that humans are harming our environment and organisms around us. I think that humans do this both intentionally and unintentionally. For example, intentional littering is a big problem, but plastic water bottles are also a major cause of unintentional environmental damage. According to National Geographic, plastic water bottles are the 3rd most collected trash in the ocean. This is because only 1 out of every 4 plastic water bottles is recycled properly. If we all would take the couple seconds to make sure our bottle is recycled, or not buy them at all, our oceans, and our earth in general would be much healthier.

nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/plastic-bottles/

I believe that in their entirety plastic bottles should be replaced by returnable bottles so as not to generate more plastic waste.

I agree but you have to consider that it's unrealistic in some parts of the world. Replacing plastic would be ideal but often people are not prepared to buy reusable bottles because they are more expensive in the short term - it's all about appearances. I found that some people would rather keep buying and wasting money on plastic bottles than buy a solid reusable bottle because the long term cost doesn't really feel real compared to the momentary cost, you know what I mean?

It's true but it would be complicated since people would not always bring back the reusable bottles and we would end up producing more and more. So in the end people would stock the reusable bottles and not use them again.

Yes, that would definitely happen and it would probably be unintentional too. With how fast our lives have become all of us have to think of 10 things at the same time and sometimes (even though it's shameful to say) remembering to take reusable get's off the list of priorities. For example, I've found myself at the checkout at a store multiple times with no reusable bag because I simply forgot to take it with me. I think this would happen with bottles too no matter how good people's intentions are. As I said, it's hard to think in the long term when you have pressing short term issues on your mind.

Actually I just thought about it, the stores could have plastic bottles and reusable ones. So if people don't have time to bring bottles back, they can buy plastic ones. Even though they would need people to wash them it could maybe work.

Maybe it would. It's a good idea and I think it would work in some cases but wouldn't having plastic bottles to buy at stores ruin the purpose of having reusable ones? Since taking a reusable bottle with you can be seen as a hassle and so it would be easier to just buy a cheap plastic bottle? I think if your idea became reality the prices of plastic bottles would have to increase to discourage people from buying them yk?

Yes then people would stop buying them and maybe use the reusable ones.

for sure because in the end, it's all about money ig... how to spend as little as possible, how to save as much as possible and that's relevant from all sides: individuals, shopping markets and governments alike

i agree in iceland we have clean tap water and i dont understand people that buy water here becouse you have clean water in every tap and we dont need to use all this unnessesery plastic

Yes in France too we have clean tap water

My family and I used to use plastic water bottles. We used to have a bin where we put the empty ones and then we would take it to a recycling center. Now we don't even use plastic water bottles we use actual water bottles.  It takes up to 1,000 years for plastic water bottles to decompose. There are 2 million tons of plastic water bottles in U.S landfills. https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news … ottles-end

My family and I used to use plastic water bottles. We used to have a bin where we put the empty ones and then we would take it to a recycling center. Now we don't even use plastic water bottles we use actual water bottles.  It takes up to 1,000 years for plastic water bottles to decompose. There are 2 million tons of plastic water bottles in U.S landfills. https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news … ottles-end

I agree that we should try to switch to more reusable bottles but as vrbaeh said it's unrealistic for most of the world. According to the article by Competitive Enterprise Institute, banning plastic completely diverts attention from the real problem and instead harms the environment. Studies have shown that plastic pollution isn't due to plastic being a thing, its due to plastic being misused after its completed its main function. I believe that if we instead got more education about pollution and what plastic does to the environment when misused internationally across schools it would be more beneficial.

https://cei.org/blog/five-reasons-banni … -consumers

I think that reusable cups and straws should be sold in all food retailers. I think this will positively impact the carbon footprints of people all over the world. I think part of the reason that our carbon footprints are so high is because we don't have easy, immediate access to reusable products. If reusable items are sold in all stores today, people will be more inclined to reuse, which will result in an overall lower carbon footprint.

I agree, learning to reuse and repurpose items extends the lifetime of those things and cuts down on creating waste. A lot of us have a bad habit of throwing things away instead of thinking about how to use them better. Whether it’s broken or not we should try to make it useful instead of throwing it away. For the people out there that care for the planet, we need to start reusing. Let's just say recycling should be the last option if it's just going in the garbage can. Some examples of things we can repurpose are toilet paper rolls to organize cables and chords, turn old credit cards into guitar picks, and finally, we can use marbles to plug holes in fences.  https://twistedsifter.com/2012/06/creat … ld-things/

I agree that we should have more access to reusable items in stores. A small ban on things such as plastic straws, cups, and containers can have an impact on our personal and global carbon footprint. A study by Dine Green showed that “An average restaurant produces 100,000 pounds of garbage per year. By implementing a comprehensive recycling and composting program, restaurants can divert about 90% of their waste from the landfill.” This recycling or composting program can include providing reusable containers and having biodegradable straws, cups, plates, and silverware. 45 tons of carbon-producing waste could be saved if just one restaurant implemented a reusable system. If all restaurants implemented this, it would significantly help our global carbon footprint. However, I also believe it is up to us to make sustainable choices. Most food places and restaurants provide plastic cups and containers but also allow you to bring your own reusable container. Although it is less convenient and isn’t enforced, people can still make a sustainable choice to bring a reusable container. Overall, bans on plastic products, availability of reusable goods, and proactive citizens would all help reduce our carbon footprint.
https://www.dinegreen.com/waste

I agree that using items that are reusable and have multiple uses are better. Reusable items prevent a lot of waste, helps to sustain the environment, and greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions which also affect the environment. Despite how tempting it is to throw things away after they have been used, almost every item can be reused or repurposed. If items were reused or repurposed, the environment would be much better. Pollution and the need for resources would be dramatically decreased. Finding use in all things will be able to create a better environment for the future but needs a lot of work. The elimination of waste is the key factor in care and protection of our planet. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that waste can be prevented if waste isn't created, and the best way for not creating waste is reusing and repurposing.
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics

I agree I feel like if we all reused and repurposed items then it would prevent a lot of unnecessary waste. Also, it would help the environment because it would reduce greenhouse gases. Almost every item can be reused and repurposed. If we did this pollution would decrease and it would help the global carbon footprint. In the article "One Green Plant Life" by Johnathon Engels, it says how if we reuse and repurpose then it can also cause use less energy in the world rather than recycling.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyl … recycling/

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyl … ver-again/
Reusing is a very useful skill you can have it can benefit you in many different ways. Ways i have reused and recycled is by reusing paper bags for different stuff or taking back to a store or storing stuff in there. You can also repurpose a lot of trash you can throw out and turn it into art or also make stuff out of them that you can use later.

Another way you could reuse is throwing trash into the right bin, some people just do what they want and they don't know how much it affects the environment. If we do this they won't find old food to recycle and can actually recreate new things.

You can reuse plastic bottles in various different ways. You can create Recycled Plastic Bottles as Supply cups. For example pencil holders and craft containers. You can also reuse plastic by using them as a planter box. You can put plants and soil and various different animals.

Instead of just throwing away your trash after you're finished with it, a good solution is to reuse that piece of trash. For example many restaurants give you a container if you wish to take your extra food home with you. These containers can easily be washed and reused many times after your first use. You can also then take these with you when you go out for food instead of asking for a new container. By doing this, you will save a lot of plastic and reduce your trash intake as well.

In my household since a very young age my parents would always make sure to save paper and plastic grocery bags for later use. Despite these being sold as disposable and single use, my family collects them and reuses them for our own purposes such as collecting fruit from the trees outside our house, bringing them back to the grocery store to use them as reusable plastic bags and putting them down over surfaces for art projects and painting. Another way my family and I have always tried to reuse disposable plastic products is to wash and repeatedly use plastic utensils in case we run out of silverware or if we are going camping. Although they are more flimsy than traditional silverware, they are fine for repeated use as long as they are washed thoroughly, just like any other utensil.

The packaging and products that we buy can be used in a multitude of ways other than their intended purpose. Many items that we commonly toss to the side after one use can be used again. The EPA has researched and concluded that the benefits of repurposing items is that it prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials, it saves energy, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, it saves money, and it reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators. Some examples of how you can repurpose the daily items in your life are by using plastic bags given at grocery stores more than once, using old shoes as places to grow plants and even passing down old clothing or possessions to family members. As someone who loves to create new things, I know that repurposing old items in my house can be used for all sorts of creative projects. So the next time I have the choice to throw away an item I will instead extend the life of a product by repurposing it into something new.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics

The packaging and products that we buy can be used in a multitude of ways other than their intended purpose. Many items that we commonly toss to the side after one use can be used again. The EPA has researched and concluded that the benefits of repurposing items is that it prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials, it saves energy, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, it saves money, and it reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators. Some examples of how you can repurpose the daily items in your life are by using plastic bags given at grocery stores more than once, using old shoes as places to grow plants and even passing down old clothing or possessions to family members. As someone who loves to create new things, I know that repurposing old items in my house can be used for all sorts of creative projects. So the next time I have the choice to throw away an item I will instead extend the life of a product by repurposing it into something new.

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics

I am always looking for new and innovative ways to recycle. One of the least thought of places to recycle are in a garden, because garden's are already naturally eco-friendly. Some of my favorite ideas for recycling are: 1. Using old bathtubs, large sinks or buckets as a holder for a small pond in your garden. 2. Using old wood or pallets to construct compost bins, or other necassary garden utilities instead of throwing them away. 3. Putting old windows around delicate plants to protect them from harsh weather and frost, while still allowing them to take in sunlight. Lastly, 4. While this isn't directly recycling, it is still a good idea; Create your own compost using worms. Compost is essential in growing most all plants, and created your own compost cuts out a middle man using resources to package and sell compost. I hope you learned some new recycling methods. Some of my ideas came from: https://www.growveg.com/guides/10-ways- … le-garden/ - An article written by Jeremy Dore

Plastic bags are overused around the world because they are cheap and can be disposed of without second thought. According to Biological Diversity's website, Americans alone use 100 billion plastic bags a year. These single use bags take resources to make as well as trash the planet when they are disposed of. Much of this plastic ends up in the ocean and landfills. To help solve this problem, we need to spend a little more money on the original purchase of reusable bags. Although it costs more in the beginning, it will save money in the long term as well as reduce the number of single use plastics being dumped into landfills and nature.

Source: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/pro … facts.html

A better way than just throwing this away, is to find a way to repurpose them. This includes, cleaning things and reusing them and finding new purposes for the item. For example, if you have a plastic bottle, you can rinse it out and clean it, and use it for more drinks or projects.  FOSH, a helpful, educational site focusing on water and bottles, suggests 60 different ways to reuse plastic bottles! Some of these ideas are, making a bird feeder and using the bottles to store food. By reusing and Repurposing items, you are reducing your carbon footprint, and keeping the environment clean and healthy.

https://www.foshbottle.com/blog/60-ways … ic-bottles

I have played baseball for many years now. I also have lots of toys from growing up as a kid. In my experience, most of the time I grow out of something like a helmet or toys I don't use anymore, I would always just through the things away. I didn't do this all the time, but still did it. I never really thought about the consequences from doing things like this. According to H.West Equipment claiming about why it is bad to throw things away rather than reducing them, it states, "Your debris and trash go to landfills ... As a result, landfills begin to smell terrible and become toxic from different kinds of harmful chemicals coming from cleaning supplies, microwaves, batteries, styrofoam, as well as other household products." Therefore, now I know everytime I do these type of things, I harm the environment and pollute it, as well. In order for me to fix this, for now on things that I don't want anymore are going to be given to others rather than throwing them away. I will try to find other places that want the toys and equipment so they can be reduced and reused and not polluted. Does anyone else have any other ideas how to reuse equipment and old items.
Website used: http://hwestequipment.com/3-reasons-why … -recycled/

Climate change is the greatest problem facing humanity and we need to find ways to lower our carbon footprint. By reusing and repurposing, supply demands for these products are decreasing, and there’s an overall cut-down of waste. While it seems easy to throw out things you no longer want, you can find a way to donate it or give it to someone else who can find a use for it. We need to change our daily habits if we want a greener future for future generations.

recycling is the correct way to reduce a carbon footprint and to re-purpose used water and that'll really help the carbon footprint

In regards to plastic bottles, many people use plastic today all over the world. According to HealthyHumanLife.com, around 1,000 people in America open a bottle of water per second. The U.S. also throws away around 35 billion water bottles a year, and 80% of those bottles end up in the landfill, even if they are recyclable. These high amounts of waster contribute greatly to fossil fuels being released which is one major factor of global warming. People are often blind to the effect this waste can have on our planet. People often do not care what happens to their bottle after they throw it away. The main problem we need to resolve is the use of plastic bottles. We need to educate people more about the harmful effects of these bottles. In my experience, the more I learned about the harmful effects of plastic bottles, the more it inspired me to use my own reusable cup. I think the key is to educate people more, so they can really understand the effects this harmful plastic can have on our earth.
Site: https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news … ottles-end

A lot of the products we buy are unnecessary and we end up not even using them, so they simply creat waste from the packaging they create. The best way we can prevent this is to not buy it in the first place. According to epa.gov, ways you can reduce and reuse include: buying second hand, buying in bulk, buying less packaging, buying multi-use rather than disposable, borrowing or renting more, buying more maintainable options with higher quality, and repairing broken items rather than throwing them away. You made have heard the common phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." This is basically saying that you should not throw away what you think is trash because other people could use it. These kinds of exchanges are whats important for maintaining a good environment. You can do that by donating to nonprofit organizations, going to swap meets, and selling unwanted goods. Not only is this good for the environment as it saves natural resources but it can benefit you too.

Source: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-an … sics#ideas

Wasting Food can be very detrimental to our environment. The later you waste, the more it affects the environment because if you spend all the energy buying the food, processing, and cooking it is more carbon expended just to waste the product. One way we can tackle food waste is by feeding the unwanted food to animals and if it cant be
reused in any way then we can recycle it in a responsible manner instead of just letting it rot in the landfill.

https://www.moveforhunger.org/the-envir … food-waste

I feel that one of my major recycling problem is that I use too many plastic water bottles. I would say that I buy a plastic water bottle 2 to 3 times a week. According to Pat Franklin of the Container Recycling Unit, "Each day in the US more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away." This is an incredibly high number. I think one thing we can do is make sure to have a reusable water bottle. My school, Bishop O'Dowd, has many water fountains across the school. I will definitely make sure to bring my own when we got back to school.

Currently, I have my own metal water bottle that I bring to school almost every day. I remember to bring my water bottle to school because I play sports which requires a water bottle or I have nothing to drink which is a huge motivator. I definitely think that bringing your own water bottle is a great way to reduce the 60 million wasted bottles a year. According to Daily Infographic, only 1 in 5 plastic water bottles are recycled properly and 17 million barrels of oil are used to create 50 billion plastic water bottles in the USA alone. In addition, if we start to bring our own metal water bottles everywhere we go the average American would save up 200 dollars which could be used in another way.

Websites used: https://www.dailyinfographic.com/10-rea … ter-bottle

I go to Bishop O'Dowd, too. I completely agree with you. A major thing I always seem to do at school is constantly buy plastic and metal bottles and cans. I drink them and then throw them away never reusing anything. According to Clearance Solutions when stating about what reusing does, it claims, "It also significantly reduces waste and pollution because it reduces the need for raw materials, saving both forests and water supplies." I believe that if people want to save the world every small step counts. Therefore, I agree with you. If we can all use water bottles to fill up water reusing them over time, it will reduce our waste in the world and save life. I got this information from https://www.clearancesolutionsltd.co.uk … g-reusing/

I completely agree in that plastic water bottles one of the largest contributors in pollution. Metal water bottles are much more resource efficient and they aren't single use. Bringing a metal water bottle to school every day will help limit waste and pollution. According to healthyhumanlife.com, every year, Americans buy 29 billion plastic water bottles, and only one in six get recycled. It takes about a thousand years for plastic water bottle to decompose, and we as humanity do not have that much time. We need to figure a way to create renewable water bottles, as were going to start running out of space, ocean, plastic, among other things.

https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news … ottles-end

I think there should be more reusable bags offered in local supermarkets. If they don’t sell it, it will be hard finding one and customers will keep buying plastic bags. What do you think?

I personally think there shouldn't even be plastic bags in super markets in the first place. What they should do is sell a bunch of reusable bags in packs instead of just one at a time, this way you can have a bunch of bags to use and for a better price.

I completely agree that there should be more reusable bags in stores. The problem is, however, that in most places the reusable bags have to be paid for, so why would people pay for bags when there are free ones? I think that, while it may be more costly for the stores, that plastic bags should no longer be used and reusable bags should be used instead. Someone can maybe even come up with a good way to have reusable bags, but make it where the store can save money.

I agree bringing reusable bags to the store is probably one of the easiest ways to cut down on waist.

I think maybe instead of selling them, stores should offer a bag free of charge at least once, and then charge more if you use a plastic bag. I think there are stores that hold that policy, but I could be wrong. I know stores like Aldi require you to bring your own bag to put your shopping in, which I think is a fantastic idea.

I agree most definitely! Plastic bags are a huge issue that need to be addressed. I work at a grocery store, and my store doesn't charge for plastic bags and it's rare if people ask for paper bags instead. I think not making plastic an option at all will be the only way people will either use more paper bags, or buy reusable bags.

I personally think there shouldn't even be plastic bags in super markets in the first place. What they should do is sell a bunch of reusable bags in packs instead of just one at a time, this way you can have a bunch of bags to use and for a better price.

I agree completely, but like someone already mentioned people prefer free bags over having to pay for reusable ones. A grocery store here in my local town is called Aldis, and they have a policy where you can buy reusable bags to put your groceries in or you can take the bought groceries outside with the cart to put them in your car.

i think reusable bag are smart and they can hold more then the plastic ones and dont rip and then you dont have to spent money on plastic bag

Using reusable bags can make a huge difference. Plastic bags are used once or mabey twice but usually not more than that, then they just end up in the nature and the ocean. In the long term using reusable bags is cheaper, you buy one bag for certain amount and use it a lot rather than buying plastic bags every time you shop.

reusable bags are really a good thing. More places should offer them and they should be more common in stores as well.

I think reusable bags would definitely help in reducing our carbon footprints. According to biologicaldiversity.org, Americans alone use 100 million plastic bags a year. In addition, every year 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags. Reusable bags would help our environment, especially our sea life. Reusable bags do not use plastic and can be used everyday if needed. Also, instead of giving plastic bags stores and shops can give out paper bags which can be reused and recycled after.

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/pro … facts.html

I think reusable bags are super helpful in managing down plastic waste, but many reusable bags are also plastic (people also use cloth, etc) if plastic non-reusable or reusable weren't an option in general and just used natural material, it would check down major plastic waste that would probably end up in the ocean or ground.

As previously stated in other replies, reusable bags will obviously help in reducing carbon footprints. However, it is simply not that easy. While some businesses may be corrupt, you will find most people looking to contribute to making the planet greener. Without looking at the facts and simply reflecting on yourself, if you were the boss of a huge international supermarket chain and were looking between reusable bags and plastic ones, which one would you choose? I'm assuming that if you are on a forum looking exclusively at cutting down carbon footprints, you would pick the first choice, but you have to look at the prices. The motivation of price will always surpass the motivation of ethics. If you, the business tycoon, were going to lose 10 million dollars on something not so different, you would try your best to stop that, right? All I am saying is this: of course businesses will try to cut down on waste, but the business and its viability come first.

It is absolutely clear that reusable bags would be the better option for the environment. Not only do reusable bags help contribute to a more healthy environment, but they are more effective in terms of durability and space. Unfortunately, according to Boston University and their sustainability program, more than 1 trillion plastic bags are produced each year, which solidifies plastic's control on our growing world. I agree with you when you say that more reusable options should be offered for customers, but we need a way to make this possible, because as shown above, as of now, plastic completely dominates production over reusable bags. Please, I would love to further this discussion, so if anyone has any ideas on creating easy access to reusable bags for the public, please share what you think below.

I absolutely agree. In my experience people normally want bags to store grocery products at the counter. If workers offer reusable bags at the counter rather than plastic ones that break and rip, people would be able to take the reusable bags and bring them back over and over again to get more groceries when they go to the store. It would also save the environment with less trash product in the world. Life would be more clean and pure. I believe it is a great idea.

after calculating my carbon footprint, i found that my carbon footprint in the food category was much lower. i am pescatarian. taking things like meat, dairy and eggs changes your footprint drastically. I have not ate eggs and dairy in a year and I am proud of the choice I have made. if there was a regulation of meat people could eat weekly, I belive the carbon footprint of all humanity would change for the better.

I agree that our carbon footprint in the food category is mainly driven by the amount of meat you eat per week. Eating beef causes your carbon footprint to sky rocket because cows emit a lot of carbon. By cutting down on the amount of beef I eat per week I noticed that in the food category my carbon footprint is barely below average for our region. A regulation on the amount of meat a person can eat per week probably will not happen, but the inventions of meat made out of vegetables might help. This will help meat eaters reduce how much meat they will eat per week by supplementing their diets with vegetables that taste like meat.

Our food category in our carbon footprint is mostly driven by meat. Carbon is being used just by feeding and taking care of the cow. As humans we do all of that just to kill the animal and eat it. Many people think eating meat will be the only way to gain muscle and stay healthy, however; that is not the case. Eating less meat and replacing it with plant based food can actually be healthier for people a study has shown from Jillian Kubala a trusted food specialist. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pl … diet-guide

I can somewhat relate to what Sophie was saying. I was born with allergies to food like, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame seeds, dairy and tree nuts. Because of all of these allergies my food portion of the carbon footprint was substantially low. I think your idea of having a meat regulation is a very reasonable and efficient idea. I think an attainable way to regulate the intake of meat we consume daily would to measure it by calories. We should also advertise more eco friendly meats such as chicken, and turkey and reduce the meat intake of beef and lamb. If you were to cut meat and dairy out of your diet completely you could reduce your carbon footprint by two thirds according to a study done by oxford. Ive done some research, and it may be hard to cut meat completely out of your diet but we can try to adapt to a "flexitarian diet" which involves eating more eco friendly meat and only occasionally. This would cut gas emissions by 56 percent and  would reduce other environmental impacts by 6 to 22 percent. Overall I think you made some really good points and we should all take into account your ideas.

Your home carbon footprint can be terrible for the environment because that is usually how peoples carbon footprints are very high.Some things that bring up that carbon footprint are not turning off lights when you leave a room, the use of electronics and how long they are on for, overuse of paper, and incorrect garbage disposal. To prevent doing these things all the time do the following: remember to turn off lights when you leave a room, make a mental note if you have to. Always turn off you electronics after use, such as laptops, televisions, gaming systems, and desktops. Reuse paper even if it has writing on it, the more paper we use, the more deforestation there is. Remember to dispose garbage correctly, with each piece of trash in its designated bin, which consists of trash, recycling, and compost. Doing all of this will make the world an overall better place and will make the planet Earth healthier.

I agree, your carbon footprint does reflect some of the effects on the environment and even little things like turning off the lights can be beneficial. My carbon footprint was low or close to average because the environment is something I care a lot about as this is where we will be living for the rest of our life. I am always conscious of what I am ding and I keep the environment at the back of my head. When I'm grocery shopping, I always encourage my parents to bring our own bag and if we forget to always buy paper. Paper bags are more easily recyclable, decomposable,  and can be used again for a number of other things. Even though sometimes it can be more expensive it is worth it to not create more trash in landfills. Teenagers especially these days spend a lot of time on the internet. In fact right now, I am using an electronic device. But when I finish, I always try to turn off my device and not use it all the time. Spending more time outdoors can help with this. And finally, the last point you brought up is properly disposing trash. I agree it is important to not buy too much packaging and trash that you do not need. Placing your waste in the correct bins is always enforced and focusing on try to have more recycling and compost will help with not wasting too many natural resources. Overall good job, I completely agree all of these things are important to making life healthier and more sustainable.

To reuse and recycle, I always try to have cloth bags in the back of our car when we go grocery shopping. Also, I use metal straw so I don't have to use a plastic straw to drink! What do you do to reuse and recycle?

I also try to use cloth bags when shopping and reuse things I could easily recycle, such as glass jam jars.

Like lulu, I also re use glass jelly/jam jars for a lot of things. I drink water from them and I have one in my room to store extra pens and pencils. They are very versatile objects.

When I go grocery shopping I also use reusable bags for our grocery’s but we also have these mesh bags that’s we use to put our produce in. They are suppose to keep fruit fresh longer and are reusable.

Just like all of you said, I go grocery shopping with fabric bags, and if we forget, we will ask for paper bags then use them as recycling bags until they are unusable. When I am done with my cloths or they are to small for me, I hang them down to my sister, then to the neighbors and finally to the donation box by our house.

I’m going to use cloth bags and no straws

straws are still being used

I think we should use cloth bags, metal straws and water bottles. Use containers that you can re use instead of things like plastic bags. A lunch bag instead of a paper sack. Also things like fruit and vegetables that don’t come in plastic bags.

I too use only cloth bags when shopping and when we do rarely get a paper bag we use them to hold our recycling at home.

I also use reusable bags when I go to the store. In the long run, the amount of disposable bags we use really adds up, reusable bags are a great alternative. In addition, I try to always use a reusable water bottle at school.

In addition to what you said, something I always try to be careful with is what I pack my school lunches in. For example using plastic ziplock bags everyday for your food is a huge waste. Instead I try to use containers and reusable options! This way you are reducing your waste as well as your money because you won’t have to constantly be buying new bags.

In addition to what you said, something I always try to be careful with is what I pack my school lunches in. For example using plastic ziplock bags everyday for your food is a huge waste. According to plastic-pollution.org each year there is about 8 million tons of plastic that ends up in the ocean. Instead of adding to that number try something I do! I try to use containers and reusable options! This way you are reducing your waste as well as your money because you won’t have to constantly be buying new bags. https://plastic-pollution.org/

I always try to use reusable grocery bags when I go shopping but more importantly I only buy the things I need. Way to many people see good looking fruits or candy in the store and buy them without thinking. When they get home, they forget that they bought the food or do not want it anymore so they end up throwing it away. We must stop throwing foods away! Did you know that 1/3 of the food we make ends up in the trash! That is waaay to much! So please, start making a list of the groceries you need and stick to the list! It is much better for the environment:)

i alway sort the trash and we use reusable cloth bags when we shop. we try our best to buy the minimal amount of f00d(just the right amount) we also are starting to plant in our garden. and at the moment we use electric cars in town but have to use oil car for a long distent drives like from town to town.

I try to use cloth bags when i go shoping,  no extra plast at resturants, recyle trash and try my best not to waist any food

how do you recycle and how many trash bins do you have a week. and what do you do to have less waste.

I think almost everything can we repurposed and/or reused. Even if its as simple as using the plastic water bottle over again, or harder like repurposing clothes. I think that is a big thing because people will have clothes and when they are are done with them they just to think to throw them away. But many people could use those clothes and they could be turned into something more useful. If everyone reused old items more we would be able to reduce our waste signifantly.

I totally agree!! If everyone donated their old clothes or gave them as hand me downs,  or even use them for other materials our footprints would be so much lower. This sounds pretty gross but we could even use manure to fertilize our yards and make them green. We could reuse water bottles and get rid of the need for plastic. We could do so much more for our planet and carbon footprints.

The main problem I have with my carbon footprint is the amount I waste from my home (2,507kg). An easy and immediate way I can improve my home's carbon is by switching my light bulbs to LEDs or by adding a compost bin to my kitchen. LED bulbs produce 451 kg while the CFL bulbs (I mostly have in my home) produce 1,051 kg yearly. By switching to LED bulbs, I can yearly remove approximately 600kg. By adding a compost bin to my kitchen, I will also be able to limit the amount of carbon wasted burning and removing compostables from the trash/recycling. On average, 28% of things that are thrown away are compostable. So, by introducing an indoor compost system, I will be able to sustainably remove approximately 28% of trash that would otherwise go towards landfill versus the environment. Works cited: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/7-instan … 73ab57a383, https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

What are some other ways we could reuse and recycle instead of recycling and composting?

You can bring cloth or reusable bags with you instead of using ones given at the store.

Also if you grow out of clothes instead of throwing them away you could donate them to a place like goodwill.

If people start using their own containers and bags for shopping or eating than recycling won’t need to happen at all. Other than home reuse

wasting paper can also be a contributor to climate change. Whenever possible, use scrap paper and don’t use a whole piece of paper for a small reason, like a grocery list. For small notes and memos, try using leftover receipts.

We should use more Costner’s and bags that we can keep

We can reuse seeds from fruits and vegetables and regrow them to make a sustainable source of fruits and vegetables.

you could use old clothing in order to make new clothes or donate them to a thrift store for others to use

We could start charging more for packaging and plastic and make reusable things more affordable and easier for the customers.

Even though a person might think recycling plastic, aluminum, and paper helps the environment enough, they would be mistaken. The first thing to do is to reduce the use of disposable goods, then reuse plastics and glass items. Lastly, recycling plastics and paper should be the final step. After calculating my carbon footprint, I realize how important it is to carry out the three Rs. I found a website that lists various ways to people can practice Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. If people could start practicing two or three things on the list then we as a population could help the planet together.

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/ … ecycle.php

I think this is a great idea! The three Rs on how to keep the Earth healthy. Thank you for telling me how to reduce, reuse and recycle!

Reusing is a great thing! At my house we used to have a glass soap dispenser but it broke so my mom got a plastic one form the store. And now when it’s empty instead of getting another one she just refills it with soap. That’s one way you can reuse something.

Reusing is a something everyone can do, and it helps the environment. At home, we reuse everything we can, and we try to limit shopping of clothes and other stuff as well. We also do what laurneh mentioned, we have a huge bottle of soap so when anything goes empty, we just fill it up again.

Thrifting your clothes is a fun and easy way to decrease your carbon footprint. Not only is it better for the environment, it is also more ethical because you are contributing last to the fast fashion industry which primarily affects the Third World countries in a negative way. There is a great Netflix documentary on this. It’s called the real cost. I have decided not to buy any new clothes or other textile products this year. I am lucky to live near a bunch of cheap and well stocked thrift stores where I live. You can also trade clothes with your friends

Yes less do that increase the amount of clothes we by

Take old clothes and jeans and donate them, as a recycle option. Learn to sow and take old clothes and revamp them instead of buying new ones. Make your own clothes.

For more about upcycling: https://compareethics.com/9-recycled-an … s-in-2018/

And for ideas: https://thesewingloftblog.com/100-ways- … -clothing/

There are many ways to reuse and extend the "lives" of items we buy and use. Reusing items creates less air and water pollution and ultimately results in less hazardous waste. Reusing items is also a great way to save money and help the environment at the same time.

I agree, and it's also a fun challenge to figure out new ways to use old things.

By the way, I like your screenname!  I'm a big urchin fan too