3R is an effective method to address the growing issue of waste management and will give good results if practiced appropriately. The principle is to minimize the generation of waste by reducing waste and reusing and recycling resources and products
Reduce!
Reuse!
Recycle!
Why we should practice 3R?
To save earth’s natural resources
To save energy
To reduce pollution
To save space on earth for our future generations
To make the world a better place to live in
REDUCE
CONSERVATION is the key to waste reduction!
Practice reduction at home by opting for environmentally friendly products.
Buy items in bulk and with little or no packaging
Use cloth napkins and serviettes instead of tissue
Opt for recyclable packaging in products and avoid over-packed items
e.g. Styrofoam packaging, food-wrap packing for vegetables
Buy refillable containers instead of disposable ones
e.g. Tomato sauce, Dettol refill pack, glass aerated water bottles (ginger beer, soda, coca cola etc), cordials/juices
Think again if you plan to use disposable plates, cups and/or cutlery, buy a cheap set of unbreakable, easy-to-wash ones instead
Take your own grocery basket/cloth bag with you and don’t be afraid to say NO to plastic bags and takeaway containers
Buy items in glass bottles instead of plastic containers (as is done for milk)
Save water - take showers instead of baths, don’t leave water running when cleaning your teeth, fix dripping taps
Save energy - replace at least your heavy use light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent (CFL), switch off unnecessary lights at home, iron your cloths for the week at once, unplug electrical appliances when not being used
Carpool, ride a bicycle or take public transportation
Drive a smaller, more energy-efficient car & use lead-free petrol
Take the message to your office too!
Use both sides of copy paper
Avoid taking printouts unless very necessary
Switch off lights, fans and AC’s when a room is not being used
Switch off your computer when not in use for a long time
Buy on a ‘NEED’ basis and avoid excess / unwanted items at home! Make your contribution TODAY! Help reduce waste! Become a Considerate Consumer!
REUSE
Think twice before you throw! Unsorted WASTE is a RESOURCE! Simple practices can go a long way in reducing the waste you generate…
Re-use plastic and polythene bags
Use empty food containers again and again
Donate old clothes, toys, furniture etc. to the needy
Do not throw away things that are still usable, pass on to others who can use them. “One man’s waste is another man’s treasure.”
Carry your lunch in reusable containers - avoid lunch packets with polythene sheets
Use empty plastic water or soft drink bottles as drink bottle for school and office
Rent or borrow items you don’t use very often
Use refillable pens instead of disposable
Use rechargeable batteries and refillable print cartridge
Find creative way to reuse your waste before throwing it into the bin
Use things AGAIN and AGAIN… and cutback what you send to landfills
RECYCLE
Recycling is saving items that cannot be reused but their material can be used again to produce either the same product or new products.
In simple, Recycling means turning something old into something new!
Just about anything in your home (or office or school etc.) that cannot be reused CAN be recycled into something else. Set up a system of separating your waste for recycling and minimize what you give your garbage truck.
Some simple guidelines on how you can separate and store your recyclable waste.
Paper Old Newspapers - tie into bundles Beverage cartons –
FLIP: open the top side flaps of the carton
FLAP: open the bottom flaps
FLAT: flatten it
Metal Aluminium can - empty contents, rinse, dry and crush Metal containers - empty contents and clean
Glass Bottles - empty contents and clean Broken Glass – store in plastic containers
Plastic Drinking bottle - remove cap, empty bottle, rinse and crush Plastic containers - empty contents and clean
Organic (food scrap) - pour into compost heap in your garden to be turned into fertilizer What should you do with your separate waste? You can either:
Deposit them off at your nearest Recycling Kiosk / Sampath Piyasa
Give them to your regular ‘Botal Paththara Man’ and earn some money
Call your local authority and request they send the ‘separated waste collection truck’ to your area
Remember, recycling is a great way to conserve resources - but even better is not to create the waste in the first place.
Practice reduction at home by opting for environmentally friendly products. 
Save energy - replace at least your heavy use light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent (CFL), switch off unnecessary lights at home, iron your cloths for the week at once, unplug electrical appliances when not being used
Think twice before you throw! Unsorted WASTE is a RESOURCE! Simple practices can go a long way in reducing the waste you generate… 
Paper 
Remember, recycling is a great way to conserve resources - but even better is not to create the waste in the first place.