What does the slogan “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” mean?

You may have heard this expression used in school, in television commercials, or on a sign at your local parks and recreation. Basically, the slogan means that there are three key ways to produce less waste:

1. Reduce the amount of trash (and toxicity) you throw away.

2. Reuse containers and products whenever possible.

3. Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.

As much as 84 percent of all household waste can be recycled—so it makes sense to be conscious of what we use and how we can reuse it.