Environmental Management> Chapter- 3 > Waste Management> Six R-Concept: Rethink ,Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse & Reprocessing/Co-processing Waste

What is 6 R-Concept in Waste Management ? 

According to the World Bank, the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually with at least 33% of it not managed in an environmentally safe manner. Worldwide, waste generated per person per day averages 0.74 kilograms but ranges widely from 0.11 to 4.54 kilograms. Globally, waste generation is expected to increase by 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050. The East Asia and Pacific region generates 23% of the world’s waste and the Middle East and North Africa region produces 6% . By 2050, total waste generation in fastest growing regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa is expected to double. In these regions, currently more than half of the waste is openly dumped with significant effect on health and the environment. Proper waste collection and disposal play a vital role in the global cleanliness and environment sustainability as its ripple effects are observed on health and environment. Looking upon this crucial aspect is of every individual’s and government’s responsibility. To ease the pressure on government agencies, numerous privately managed organizations have also been active integrated waste management and recycling activities. 

Waste management involves the collection, transportation, process and disposal of garbage, sewage and waste products. It includes all the actions and processes required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal with proper monitoring and regulation. Among the numerous ways of proper waste management throughout the globe, ‘6R system of waste management’ can be considered as one of the best ways which can help to lower the amount of wastage that has been degrading our surrounding with the human health. 6R system is not only for Waste management but to achieve sustainable growth and achieve green lifestyle. 

Six R- Concept: Rethink ,Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse & Reprocessing / Co-processing Waste. 

Lets see what all 6 R one by one....

Rethink : 

As we all are contributing in to the generating waste in our daily life. We need to really  think again before buying anything. Ultimately whatever the choices we are making in our daily needs actions are going to impact on our environment. “Rethink” means that we should all be more mindful of our consumption habits to limit our impact on the environment. 

Example of Rethink is....

In case of industrial environment , engineers working in product design, rethinking means that you should consider the environmental impact on your design choices. You should be asking yourself questions like:

• Can I design this product in a way that is easier to disassemble, repair, and recycle?
• Is there anything I can change to improve the quality of the product to make it last longer? 
• Do I really need to use this material or can I use something more environmentally friendly?
• Can I avoid generating any hazardous waste or at least reduce it to the minimum?
• What can I do to reduce the energy consumption of the product and of its manufacturing process?
• Is there any new green technology I could leverage to make my design more sustainable?

As a product designer, you have a lot of responsibilities and you also have the opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint of your product by making it more energy-efficient, long-lasting, easy to repair and finally easier to recycle. 

Refuse: 

“Refuse” means that you should avoid purchasing or even getting for free something that is not essential. The concept should be interpreted in a broad way: by refusing anything that is unnecessary, including items that have excessive packaging, single-use items, or products that are not energy efficient.

One of the immediate benefits of refusing something we don’t need is to reduce the amount of waste that will end up in landfills. But there is more, in fact, this behavior has the potential to ignite a virtuous cycle by pushing the companies to keep in mind the environment for their design choices. Less demand will lead to a reduction in the production of single-use items and so on for all the items that you are refusing because of environmental concerns. 

Examples of Refuse is...

• The next time you will go to the supermarket bring with you a reusable bag and refuse a single-use one.
• The next time they offer you some free samples of a product you are not really interested in, just say “no thank you”.
• The next time that you have to go to a store just down the road, just go on foot or cycle instead of taking the car. Your health will also benefit as well.
• Log in in your online banking or utility provider and activate the paperless billing. That’s easy, it takes just a couple of clicks and you could improve some sustainability facts by saving some trees as well as reducing the CO2 emissions related to the production and transport of your future bills and bank statements.

Reduce: 

Reduce means to cut down on the number of products you buy and use. Try to reduce the use of harmful, wasteful, and non-recyclable products. When you reduce dependency on these kinds of products, it leads to less waste material ending up in a landfill. Always use the minimum amount required to avoid unnecessary waste.

When you reduce the amount of a consumable that you use will in turn reduce the amount of packaging that you are throwing away. Not all packaging is recyclable, so you need to think smartly.

Example of Reduce is ..

From a product design engineer point of view, “reduce” is also a very important step to consider. For example, you can ask yourself those types of questions:

• Can I design the same component by using less material?
• Can the production use less energy?
• Can I reduce the expected maintenance of this product by improving the design in some areas

Recycle: 

T​his R in the hierarchy is for recycle, which in terms of waste is the reprocessing of

disposed materials into new and useful products. Items that are commonly recycled include glass, plastic, paper, and metal. When recycled, some of these materials are used to create more of the same original product, while other materials are used to create entirely different products after recycling. 

Recycling matters because of several fundamental reasons:

• To reduce the resources we extract from the planet, helping to conserve some of them for future generations. If a material is recycled, then it will be extracted in reduced quantity from the Earth.
• To reduce waste in landfills and keep our water and air cleaner for us and our children.
• To improve the efficiency of human activities. If it’s economically viable to recycle something, then we are improving the efficiency of our businesses by reducing the cost of that raw material. 

Examples of Recycle is..

• Recycling plastics: this is extremely important, because too many plastics still end up in our oceans, polluting the environment and inevitably ending up in our food chain.
• Steel, aluminum, or tin cans can be easily recycled because they can be melted and turned back to new cans or other items.
• Glass bottles and jars can also be recycled and easily turned into new glass. 

Reuse: 

The importance of “reuse”: it plays a vital role in the 6 Rs of waste management, so much so that it is also part of the shorter 3 Rs to save the environment list!

The definition of reuse is simply to use again. Give a new life to old products that can still have some utility, avoiding those to end up in landfill. Reusing will also prevent producing a new item just to fulfill a function that can be performed by what you already have.

When things become worn or stop working, they often end up in the trash. This is when the word ‘reuse’ comes into action. Reuse is the practice of using an item, whether for its original purpose or to fulfill a different function. Wherever and whenever possible, reuse materials that you already possess. It is crucial to come up with interesting reusable solutions for materials that go on to add more to the landfill. 

Examples of Reuse is..

• Reuse that nice wrapping paper. Christmas 2021 is coming, why not save the wrapping paper of the gifts you will receive and reuse it next year? This is also something that my grandmother used to do! 
• Reuse glass jars to keep some food like pasta or rice. Even better, use them to keep your homemade jam or tomato sauce. 
• Instead of throwing away your old toothbrush, give it a bit more life by reusing it as a cleaning brush. With it you will be easily able to reach and clean areas such as the drain of your sink. 

Reprocessing /Co-Processing - 

 A hazardous secondary material is recycled if it is used or reused (e.g., as an ingredient in a process), reclaimed, or used in certain ways including used in a manner constituting disposal and burned for energy recovery. A material is reclaimed if it is processed to recover a usable product or if it is regenerated (e.g., regeneration of spent solvents).A material is used or reused if it is either employed as an ingredient in an industrial process to make a product (e.g., distillation bottoms from one process used as feedstock in another process)or if it is employed as an effective substitute for a commercial product (e.g., spent pickle liquor used as a sludge conditioner in wastewater treatment)."Use constituting disposal" is recycling that involves the direct placement of wastes or products containing wastes (e.g., asphalt with petroleum-refining wastes as an ingredient) on the land. "Burning for energy recovery" is recycling that involves burning a hazardous waste for its fuel value (either directly or when it is used to produce a fuel).Hazardous waste recycling is not only good for the environment, but can benefit an organization's bottom line. Reprocessing hazardous waste can increase production efficiency and reduce costs associated with purchasing raw materials and waste management. By recycling hazardous materials, a business may be able to eliminate the generation of hazardous waste and avoid RCRA regulatory requirements altogether. A business may also benefit from the positive or "green" image associated with hazardous waste recycling efforts For example; a company who values strong corporate stewardship can increase goodwill with shareholders and consumers and further distinguish itself from its competitors.

Reference: 

• Sustainability success.com
• Climate Change & Nepal Website
• Global Hues
• NSO Notes 
• Google.com
• The vegan Review Website