Reduce is obviously about using less of everything from toilet roll to washing up liquid! Trust me I don’t measure everything fanatically but I do try to be mindful to use less where possible. I like low lighting at night so I tend to use candles in the evening rather than the electric lights and I am finding that a little frugality can slowly accumulate to big economic savings too! It can be a fun challenge to take a look around the house and see what you can use less of.

Refusing is a chance to make conscious consumption choices. One of the biggest impacts I think we can all have is to refuse plastic bags for shopping and carry a set of reusable bags on each trip. I love using my selection of cloth bags and I also refuse styrofoam and other disposable food and drink containers by bringing my own or eating in the restaurant and using their washable glasses, plates and cutlery. By eating as many natural foods in natures own packaging I refuse overly packaged imported goods as much as possible -most of them are unhealthy anyway, so I benefit from greater health too!

Reusing is all about creativity and imagination. Plastic bottles can be cut in half and used as plant seedling pots, funnels and pen pots whilst old clothes get transformed into cleaning rags or are used as part of a patchwork project. I love buying anything in a glass jar as I know I can reuse them as containers for food, household items or vases. One of my friends used glass jars for years as drinking glasses. If I absolutely have to use plastic cutlery, cups or bags I make sure they get washed out and reused as many times as possible before the garbage bin gets it.

Paper is always used both sides and I make little note pads from the scraps whilst small quantities of newspaper can be added to a compost heap. I’m researching the art of papier-mache and making recycled paper products too - more updates on my efforts another time! I also took a note from Tiamo Bay, an ecolodge in the Bahamas, who compact their recyclable waste into small manageable packages and ask their overseas guests to take it home with them and recycle where there are facilities. Similarly, any of my visiting friends and family usually get laden with a bundle of paper, print cartridges and other small items to recycle on their return home!

Cans are so far my most difficult reusable challenge but since I only use one in a blue moon (they are refused!) I have not had much opportunity to explore the option of reusing for them. One way I did see that I loved was at the Belizean ecolodge, Chaa Creek, where they have a simple can crusher which reduces them to a much smaller size after which they are mixed in with other materials for building projects.

Well that’s my little contribution to the 4 R’s… I’d love to hear from anyone that has other solutions to our recycling challenge and reducing the impact on our beautiful Caribbean environment.