Rule of Three Rs, also known as Three Rs of Ecology, or simply 3R, or also the Three Erres, is a proposal on consumption habits, popularized by the environmental organization Greenpeace, which aims to develop habits such as responsible consumption.
This concept refers to waste management strategies that seek to be more sustainable with the environment and specifically prioritize the reduction of the volume of waste generated.
During the G8 Summit in June 2004, Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi presented the initiative of the three Rs seeking to build a recycling-oriented society.
In April 2005, an assembly of ministers was held in which it was discussed with the United States, Germany, France and twenty other countries how actions related to the Three Rs could be implemented internationally.
It is difficult to define the exact origin of the 3R theory, but its popularization would come from the establishment in 1970 of Earth Day. During the celebrations, the objective was to sensitize communities for the preservation of the planet. Subsequently, many legal acts in the United States introduced the concepts of recycling and environmental conservation.
The three ecological R (3R) are a rule to preserve the environment, specifically to reduce the volume of waste or garbage generated. In short, the 3Rs aim to develop responsible consumption habits and make citizens aware of how to discard less waste and be a more responsible consumer.
The three Rs constitute an end-of-life product management strategy and the resulting residue, aiming at:
- Reduce: decreasing the amount of waste that is produced is essential. Consumers must adopt healthy consumption habits such as purchasing products that will actually be used and that are reusable, for example: cloth napkins, cloth bags to do their daily shopping, reusable packaging to store food instead of disposable ones.
- Reuse: use the same product or the same packaging several times. With a little imagination and creativity you can take advantage of leftover materials for other functions, such as: plastic / glass bottles for storing liquids and various containers for organizing office supplies. Reforms of any kind fit this principle.
- Recycle: transforming the waste, previously useless, into raw materials for the manufacture of new products is a benefit for both the environmental and energy aspects. Requiring recycling programs from local governments – and especially participating in them – is the best way to exercise this idea.