Concept of 3R in the Context of Environmental Marketing:

As an important expansion of marketing, environmental marketing includes the 3R (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse) concepts besides the 4P and 4C concepts of marketing. In environmental marketing as well as green marketing 3R refers to Reducle, Reuse, & recycle. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle are three essential components of environmentally responsible consumer behavior. They are also essential for the sustainable development of environmental marketing. The concept of 3R is sometimes called the waste hierarchy. Rapid urbanization has made solid waste management a serious problem today. Over the past few years, Every single developing country has been engaged in experimenting with new technical options and administrative processes to find innovative methods to address waste management more effectively. From this perspective, the concept of 3R in the context of environmental marketing is discussed below:

1. Reduce: The concept behind the first R is Reduce. Here Reducing means choosing to use items with care to reduce the amount of waste generated. That means reduce refers to reducing the amount of waste created by organizations as well as by consumers. The business organization can adopt efficient manufacturing processes that require fewer resources and generate less waste in production.

Ways to reduce: An organization can reduce the amount of waste through-

  • Efficient manufacturing process
  • Resource optimization
  • Improve quality control and process monitoring.

2. Reuse: The concept behind the second R is Reuse. Reusing involves the repeated use of items or parts of items that still have usable aspects. The term reuse refers to using an item again after it has been used. That means instead of throwing things away try to find ways to use them again. Reuse is of two types-

a) Conventional reuse: Where the items are used again for the same function. For example; Glass bottles of Coca-Cola and 7up Company collect bottles and use them for the same purpose.

b) New life reuse: Where the items are used again for different functions. For example, we use different containers of products for different functions and purposes.

Benefits of reuse: Benefits of reuse include–

  • Energy and raw material savings
  • Cost savings
  • Help to sustainable development.

3. Recycle: The concept behind the Third R is Recycling. Recycling means the use of waste itself as resources. Many of the things we used every day, like paper bags, soda cans, milk cartons, etc. are made out of materials that can be recycled. Recycled items are put through a process that makes it possible to create new products out of the materials from the old ones. Recycling is of two types-

a) Up-cycle: converting low-value materials into high-value products (More desirable).

b) Down-cycle: converting valuable products into low-value raw materials (Less desirable).

Example: Many types of garbage bags and toilet paper are made from recycled materials.

Benefits of recycling: Recycling helps to-

  • save energy
  • reduced cost
  • Efficient material management etc.

The concept of 3R can be shown in below figure: