Making new stuff takes a lot of energy. Raw materials must be extracted from the environment and processed, turned into products, shipped to stores, and then driven to your home. That process creates pollution and emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
That’s why reducing, reusing, and repairing—and then recycling once the item is fully worn out—is the best way to reduce the environmental impacts of the things we buy and use.
Benefits of reducing and reusing
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
- Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials.
- Saves energy.
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.
- Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills.
Learn more at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Reducing and Reusing webpage.
Upstream emissions: A hidden climate cost
Most carbon emissions happen before you buy a product.
Producing new products takes energy, raw materials, and transportation, all of which cause pollution. That means not buying something in the first place is one of the best actions you can take.
Waste prevention has the potential for large environmental benefits because it typically reduces environmental impacts over all stages of the life cycle of materials: resource extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life management like recycling or disposal [Oregon Department of Environmental Quality].
For this reason, Oregon law defines waste prevention as the number one priority method for managing waste in Oregon.
What you can do
There are many simple ways to reduce your waste, many of which have other benefits, like saving money, supporting local businesses and nonprofits, and spending time with friends, family, and neighbors.
You can find tips and resources to help you reuse, repair, borrow, and share here in the Resourceful PDX webpages.