The hierarchy of waste management:

  • reduce: Buy only what is needed. Buy less often.
  • reuse: Buy high quality and reuse items before throwing them in the trash.
  • recycle: If you trash items, put them in the correct recycling bins.

Further R’s:

  • refuse Actively counteract waste. Unsubscribe paper ads.
  • repair: Fix stuff before tossing it.
  • rot: Compost organic waste.

See CircleWaste: What are the 5 R’s of Waste Management?.