it’s been drilled into me since i was 3 feet tall; reduce, reuse, recycle. they’ve become a comfort blanket, something we (i) go to nuzzle in conversations of being green, look at what we know, look how we live more responsibly. they’re simple rules, they’ve been through life changes with you, but they remain the same, they’ve been that nice little constant. they’re plastered on recycle bin, book marks, posters on fridges, but now…now a book borrowed from a co-worker (Generation Green by Linda Sivertsen and Tosh Sivertsen, 2008 Simon & Schuster, Inc.) has the 3 Rs, things in 3s are always easier to remember, and made them 5. 5!

“Reduce: Take a pause and ask yourself, “Could I make do with less of this?” Less water in my shower? Less shampoo on my head? Then turn the question sideways. Of course some packaging can be important to protect a certain product. But do I want to support a company that dresses up its product with a ton of flashy extra packaging when I could give my money to a company that packages an equally great product in a much more efficient way, perhaps even from recycled materials?

Reuse: Before you throw anything away, could you use it again, or use it for a different purpose? If you’re going to buy a beverage in a plastic bottle, could you minimize its impact by refilling that bottle a few times?

Recycle: We know all about recycling paper, plastic, and glass, bu can you also consider recycling…books? Clothes? Old CDs? How can you look at what you have and igure out how to re-purpose it? How can you find someone who needs your old bike, Mac laptop, video game?”

Now…for the sh*t disturbers, the addition 2 Rs:

“Rethink: Advertisers spend billions telling you their latest gizmo will make you happy. If we don’t stop to think it through, we might find ourselves automatically buying things we don’t really want or need. Start by asking yourself if you really need to upgrade your phone just yet. Do you really want to buy the latest iPod when you two-year-old version still works? Or the flattest screen TC that requires special DVDs? You certainly don’t need to lead a life of total self-denial, but it can help to think before every purchase to make sure you’re buying it for reasons you feel good about.

Refuse: When you decide not to buy something and decide to find a new, different way to use what you’ve got, you might find that you stretch your mind in all sorts of creative ways. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? What happens when you decide not to buy the latest DVD or video game or Abercrombie shirt or UGG boots or…or…or…? It’s really interesting to see the different ways you can define yourself when you don’t let your possessions define you. What can your life become when you stop depending so much on stuff?”

so, think about our 2 new Rs from now on, if you aren’t already.