7R: Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Renew, Recover and Recycle

This first concept refers to the introduction of ecology in the world of design . In other words, designing or manufacturing products taking into account the environmental consequences.

Functionality is no longer the sole objective when producing a new product and shares the limelight with sustainability . For example, suitable materials are used for subsequent recycling, respectful packaging, etc.

Today’s societies consume a lot of goods, products and energy and very quickly. For this reason, it is very important to start reducing both the amount of products we consume and those we generate as waste.

For example, we can reduce our energy consumption by keeping the heating or air conditioning according to the recommended temperatures, 19 ºC – 21 ºC (heating) and 24 ºC – 26 ºC (air conditioning). As well as many other actions: take advantage of daylight so as not to waste electricity, close the tap when we are not using water even if it seems like it is only a moment, use low-consumption light bulbs and rechargeable batteries, etc.

Taking all of this into account, you may be interested, for example, in reading this other AgroCorrn post on How to reduce my carbon footprint .

If you have the opportunity, give a new use to the products that have already been used for their main purpose. On the Internet there are many ideas on how to reuse products to extend their useful life and, in this way, stop the excessive production of waste. For example, we can reuse cloth shopping bags instead of using a plastic one every time we go shopping. You can also make a variety of crafts with used objects, reusing and recycling them. Here are some of the best ideas:

• Ideas to reuse plastic bottles .
• Ideas to reuse plastic bags .
• 10 everyday things that you can easily reuse at home .

If you have something damaged, before throwing it away and buying a new one, try to repair it . Currently, people tend to immediately discard those products that “break” without worrying about trying to give them a solution so that they can work as before.

Repair is almost always cheaper than buying new products with the same utility. Allow yourself some time to try to fix it and thus save on raw materials and energy and collaborate with the reduction of waste.

As in the previous case, people have many old objects at home that we no longer use for the simple fact of being old. Try updating the objects so that they can have the function they were created for again or reuse them for other things that may also be useful.

Continuing with the new strategy of the 7Rs: Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Renew, Recover and Recycle, we find the penultimate: Recover. According to this rule, it recovers the materials already used to be able to reintroduce them as raw material in the production process in order to create new products.

Once you have given all possible uses to a product, do not forget about the recycling process . Separate waste according to whether it is organic, plastic, glass, paper or cardboard, metal or toxic and dispose of it in the appropriate container . This way you will help the environment by avoiding its contamination and the overexploitation of natural resources.

The 7R’s model opts for a circular economy rather than a linear one. While the linear involves obtaining raw material each time a new product needs to be manufactured, the circular changes this concept by introducing the keys to the 7Rs.

The continuity of these actions promotes the use of the resources that we currently have manufactured, significantly reducing our environmental impact on the planet. Thus, the 7Rs for the environment (Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Renew, Recover and Recycle) are keys that allow us to collaborate in caring for the planet. Promotes the continuity of these actions live in a responsible society with the environment and with a fundamental objective, the sustainability . In this other article you can learn what is environmental and social sustainability .

Otherwise, if large cities continue to harvest the linear economic model that has been implemented so far, we will end up depleting the natural resources that the environment offers us , thus having serious consequences, such as the extinction of species, the acceleration of change. climate, the increase in natural disasters and environmental degradation.

If you want to read more articles similar to 7R: Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Renew, Recover and Recycle , we recommend that you enter our Recycling and waste management category .