Areca leaf plates are a sustainable product. It is therefore biodegradable and compostable and indeed follows the sustainable checklist. If you use a sustainable product such as Areca leaf tableware you for sure are following the 5 R’s guide (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle),or managing and reducing waste. Let’s dig in a bit and have a look at the exact terms for these 5 R’s pyramid to know.
The 5 R’s pyramid to know are a guide for managing and reducing waste. They follow a fixed hierarchy: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.
Unfortunately, too many people think that if they recycle they do their thing to help our world. This is absolutely the wrong way of thinking. We must do everything possible to avoid recycling. Recycling is our last option. Treat recycling as your last resort and if you follow all first four terms, maybe you will not need it at all.
We will now dig in a bit and understand all the terms and the importance of each term.
Step one:
To refuse for sure is the most important and maybe difficult of all five. This is the basic action. If we refuse to consume things we do not create waste or at least you minimize waste and it is the most effective way to minimize the waste. This action is the first because if we refuse to consume we basically cancel the next four terms. They are not needed.
Next we can also refuse to buy and consume things that are not sustainable or at least products that are not compostable. If there is really no other possibility, then a recyclable product is better than something that is not even recyclable to consume. We can also avoid products with too many materials involved in the packing.
In short – this term makes us think about things before consuming and that’s its biggest importance.
Step two:
Try to reduce your use of harmful, wasteful and non recyclable materials and products. By limiting your dependency on these types of products, this leads to less waste materials ending up in landfill. It prevents you from creating negative impacts on the environment.
Before consuming things, make the exact calculations.
A good and easy way to reduce by half your consumption of paper products will be printing documents on both sides. Just with one small decision, and you reduced by 50% the amount of paper you use.
Step three:
When we reuse a product we actually at the same time reduce the consumption of another product. As easy as it sounds.
Sadly, we live in a “single use” culture, especially these days with the pandemic measures and the use of single use items in huge quantities such as gloves and masks. The rate that we all consume plastic products is drastically becoming unimaginable. The plastic crisis has always been one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges. In a race to reduce waste, we need to reuse items instead of replacing them.
It is required to think also in this step.
Even if, somehow, you intend an event with disposable plastic or paper tableware, the minimum to do is use the same plate, cup and cutlery during all the event. This way you also educate the people next to you. We recommend that when the event ends, you speak to the organization and offer sustainable solutions, such as Areca leaf plates and tableware.
Another easy and very sufficient solution is to change all single use utensils to compostable and sustainable options and to reuse them as much as possible. Indeed, it is also possible to change to reusable washable plates and tableware.
Step four:
If you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse an item, try repurposing it instead. Sometimes, this action is also called “upcycling” or recycling for advanced. By proposing you reduce the use of another product.
Sometimes, it will involve some imagination and creativity, but there are limitless possibilities with upcycling common objects found everywhere. You can designate a small space to an ‘upcycling station’ and here you can collect and store items that you can reuse for convenience purposes later on. Also, encourage your colleagues and visitors to leave behind their ‘unusable items’ and see what you can come up with to ensure they can still be effectively used.
Step five:
The default choice. Last, but not least at all. Recycling is the most eco-friendly waste disposal method. That’s why it is the default choice and the last step. It is the only action that does not avoid waste. At least it is an eco-friendly waste. Even saying this, still a lot of activity is tied to the recycle process from the truck that picks up the recycled waste to the recycle factory activity itself. But of course, there is no reason not to recycle. If all four steps are not possible and you need to recycle, then do it. If you have followed all the steps the amount of waste you have for recycling would be much much lower then if not.
Conclusion:
In one word: Think.
In some words: These 5 R’s pyramid to know (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle) are a must for everyone.
When choosing an eco-friendly plate you need to think as well. Go through this R’s checklist and the conclusion will be eco-friendly plates made from Areca leaves. They for sure avoid the recycle process, they reduce waste as they are 100% compostable, they can be reused throughout all the event and you can even repurpose them. Children love to draw on these biodegradable plates and make colorful decorations from them.
