By Nature Foundation St. Maarten
What are the 3 Rs?
The 3 Rs are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These 3 Rs remind everyone how they can be kind to the Earth by taking steps to minimize the amount of waste they create and throw away. Being environmentally friendly is a great way to show your love for the Earth and community you live in. In this article, we will talk more about the 3 R’s and what you can do at home and at school to help the environment!
Reduce
Minimize the amount of waste you produce by saying “no” to plastic when you can. Reusable water bottles and food containers can be washed and used thousands of times. When you go out to a restaurant, order a drink with no straw. By refusing a straw, you are reducing your plastic waste! In your everyday life, think about whether you really need to use that single-use plastic, or if you can go without it and use something else!
Reuse
Think about how you can use something again for a different purpose. Maybe you can save your glass jam jars for storage, and put silly putty or pencils in them. Instead of throwing away your old or broken toys, try and use it for something else! If your toys aren’t broken but you don’t want to use them anymore, you can give them to your younger sibling or friend to use so they can reuse it! By reusing different items around your house, you are reducing your plastic waste!
Many times, you can reuse something from your house and give it as an eco-friendly present. For example, you can paint a clean tin-can and make a flower pot for a family member or friend!
Recycle
Instead of throwing away your items, they can be used to make new products. If you properly recycle your plastic water bottle or plastic cup, it can be melted down and used to make new materials such as clothing. Recycling is very difficult to do as not everything made of plastic can be recycled. St. Maarten also does not have all of the necessary tools used to recycle! The best way to be eco-friendly on St. Maarten is to Reduce and Reuse!
How can I learn more?
The Nature Foundation posts new information about plastic once a week on Facebook and Instagram. You can ask your parent or older sibling to follow us and show you the posts. Our information is also accessible on our website at naturefoundationsxm.org under the education tab. Thank you for being eco-friendly and wanting to learn more about your plastic use!
