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Writer's pictureBrandon Neil

The 3Rs of Managing Solid Waste: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle for a More Sustainable Tomorrow


Welcome back to our weekly blog forum! Where we love talking trash!


This week we'll be discussing the 3Rs of waste management and how they can help you save money while being more environmentally friendly. The 3Rs are the foundations of #sustainability, so what better way to begin our adventure than to discuss them?


Waste management is an essential aspect of our daily lives. It's not simply about reducing, reusing, and recycling; it's also about making sure that the waste we produce is handled in a sustainable way. The 3Rs were developed to be a guide.


The first R is reduce. Reducing the amount of waste you create is the best way to manage it sustainably. One way to do this is to buy only what you need and use less of what you have. For example, if you're looking for a new piece of furniture, consider buying used instead of brand new. Not only will this save you money, but it will also keep perfectly good furniture out of landfills!


The second R is reuse. This entails looking for methods to reutilize resources that you currently have instead of wasting them away. Composting food waste is one approach to achieve this; California deserves a shout-out for this! They are leading the charge in organics waste collection. Beginning in 2022, SB 1383 requires every jurisdiction to offer organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. This is significant because it reuses organic waste, lowers the amount of material going to the landfill, and lowers disposal costs for businesses and individuals alike.


Another approach would be buying environmentally friendly eco-friendly substitutes for disposable goods like paper towels and plastic bags.


The third R is recycle. This means finding ways to recycle or reuse the materials you would normally throw away. One way to do this is by baling your recyclable materials using a recycle baler and selling them to a recycling facility. This not only helps the environment, but it can also save you money - most trash haulers offer a reduced rate for recycled materials. The reason is, they turn around and resell the materials themselves. This of course depends on whether the material is not contaminated. If you produce large amounts of a single type of material, we highly recommend looking into ways to recycle it to reduce costs and potentially create a revenue stream.


Even though the 3Rs were developed to be a guide, it’s important to remember there is no “right” way to do waste management. What works for one community or business might not work for another. That’s why it’s important to find what sustainable methods work best for you and your community and continue to explore new ways of managing waste. Have you tried any of the methods we talked about in this post?


Key Takeaways:

  • #Wastemanagement is essential for our existence

  • Reducing, reusing, and recycling are key ways to sustainably manage waste and reduce costs

  • Buying less and used items, composting, and finding eco-friendly substitutes are all ways to reduce waste

  • Baling recyclable materials using a vertical baler can help you make money while being sustainable!

What other methods do you use to sustainably manage your waste? Let us know in the comments below!


Waste management is a complicated and essential topic. The above suggestions are intended to be broad recommendations. For more in-depth information, please contact one of our experts for a free, no-obligation waste analysis. Thank you for taking the time to read this!


"If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@stellar-waste.com. We're always up for trash talking!"

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