What is the three R rule? Faced with the collective obligation to care for the environment, we all acquire a portion of responsibility when it comes to mitigating the amount of garbage we generate; This extends to companies through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which includes thethree R rule..
What is the three R rule?
The meaning of the three Rs is none other than the sum of reduce, reuse and recycle, it is also known simply as the R’s of recycling, and it must be part of the decalogue of a socially responsible company.
Reduce
Waste or garbage cannot be reduced if a rational consumption of resources or direct products is not carried out: it will be necessary to determine if it is really necessary to buy this or that, taking into account the amount of waste that will be generated by its use.
In reality, almost all acquisitions are susceptible to generating garbage in the future, so the first step of the rule of three Rs is to make a moderate consumption of resources.
Reuse
Once a product or material has fulfilled its function, it is normally stored until it is thrown away: the reuse rule involves giving at least a second life to all possible products before getting rid of them.
This rule is easily understood if one analyzes the large amount of waste that is discarded daily, and that before throwing it away, can be used to fulfill another function. The problem of waste generation is not being solved, but its useful life is being increased.
Recycle
Finally, it is time to recycle waste: although much progress has been made in waste treatment, there are still many materials whose recycling is too expensive or is not entirely efficient. For example, the recycling of plastic or industrial oil.
Why introduce the three R rule in your company?
Considering what the 3Rs of recycling mean, and the benefit that they can generate, it seems interesting that these rules are adopted in the company for the following reasons.
Saving
Money influences, as we have seen, the high cost of recycling certain materials, but not knowing how to control costs can gradually undermine the company’s coffers.
There are small gestures that can be carried out and that, when looking back, it will be seen that they have meant savings in the long term: reducing printing and photocopies, or turning off lights and electronic equipment when they are not used, are some examples. .
In addition, entrepreneurs in certain sectors could access circular economy programs, or simply see new holes in their budgets to create jobs.
Brand image
When the environment is well cared for, the benefits are felt by all people; The environment cannot be treated as an entity external to the company, but rather as the scenario in which we all have to function.
If governments legislate to protect the environment and the company aligns itself with the regulations, its brand image will gain prestige and credibility: it will attract customers and investors, and it can be seen as a company committed to sustainable development goals.
Productivity
Companies that apply the 3R rule of recycling will see how their employees want to continue being part of it, they will work with greater motivation and act as its ambassadors, almost out of inertia. A good work environment only brings positive consequences to the company.
Tips for using the R rule in your company
The first step is to assimilate from Management that the company is going to implement the 3R rule, and from there extend the message to the entire workforce. If the managers do not get involved in these tasks and lead by example, it will be difficult for them to count on the continuity of the actions of the employees.
In order to reduce potential waste, the Purchasing and General Services area will probably have to rewrite the rules of its supply policy under sustainability criteria, acquiring biodegradable products and rationing accessory supplies.
Likewise, it is recommended to institutionalize good practices in the use of company resources: paper and electricity are two good examples.
It is recommended to write a report of all the waste that will normally appear in the workplace, as well as an action protocol (reuse and recycling) for each one of them.
If you want to know more about what the rule of the three Rs is and how you can implement it in your organization, contact us and we will advise you; You will contribute to preserving the environment and your company will also benefit from it.
