Opinion: Make this slogan part of daily life

Wayne Elementary School pupils recently learned a lesson regarding recycling during a recent visit from the Carnegie Science Center.

"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" is the slogan that is used to increase awareness regarding the benefits of recycling. These benefits extend to our own health and the environment in general.

The lesson learned by the Wayne pupils is one we probably all should remember. There are many ways we all can become key players in making our world a better place to live.

First on the list of lessons involves buying and using less, meaning only buy what you need and make sure you use all you have before you buy something new. If you can't find use for a product, give it to someone who can put it to good use. Like the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Other ways to reduce include making wise "packaging" selections, buying in bulk to reduce the amount of package ratio, buying concentrates rather than diluted products, refusing store bags, buying durable goods and starting a garden. All of these procedures can help in the long run.

Reusing materials is something that we all can do as well. Using travel mugs, for example, instead of disposable cups is an important step in recycling. Just think how many disposable cups we use on a weekly basis. By minimizing our use of disposable materials we are taking a big step in the right direction.

Look through your house or apartment and think about all the materials that you could possibly reuse. If you start with small items first, this process of thinking will carry over to bigger products.

Lastly, remember to recycle, recycle, recycle.

Recycling is not a new development. It has been around for a long time. However, not all of us remember to throw our paper and plastic into specific bins. The Jefferson-Belmont Solid Waste Authority operates a great recycling program. It is easier to pass the trash can and throw everything away at once. We all need to remember that by just taking a minute to specify different items and recycle them correctly, we are doing something positive to keep the Earth clean and ourselves healthy.

So as a new year approaches, let's all make the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" slogan part of everyday living.