Recycling is just one important remedy for the garbage problem. It's an effective solution because it reduces the amount of waste for disposal. And individuals like you can be part of the solution by recycling at home and at work.
First of all I will discuss what recycling is. "Recycling" means separating, collecting, processing, marketing and ultimately using a material that would have been thrown away. This mornings newspaper can be recycled for another mornings new or other paper products. Cans and bottles can be crafted for other uses. Quality products and packaging are being made from recovered materials. We can all help create markets for recyclable by buying and using these products. Our trash, plus our neighbor's and everyone else's adds up to a massive pile of waste. In fact, each year our nation generates enough garbage to file a convoy of trash trucks reaching halfway to the moon.(http://www.cancentral.com/gacr/ffacts.htm). Three reasons why we should recycle.
Lets take a closer look at what we can recycle. Commonly recycled materials include: paper, yard trimmings, glass, aluminum, other metals: refrigerators, stoves, batteries, etc., used motor oil and plastics. A few examples of new products made from recyclable: steel food cans- appliances, auto parts, construction beams; aluminum cans- new soda cans, siding for your house; paper- new writing and office papers, building insulation, packaging; plastic bottles and milk jugs- plant pots, plastic lumber, can liners, lawn furniture; glass containers- new glass packaging, decorative tiles, paving material. Local governments, nonprofit organizations, and private enterprises run several kinds of collection programs. Some examples are: curbside collection, drop-off centers, buy-back centers and waste companies.
A lot of Americans do not know what is in our trash. The National averages show that 38%-paper, 18%-yard trimmings, 8%-metals and plastics, 7%-glass and food waste, and 14%-other. For many years, most of our trash goes to landfills. Now, many of these landfills are almost full. This is causing landfilling costs to soar, forcing many of our communities to raise fees or taxes to pay the additional costs. Landfilling is no longer the easy answer. In some communities, the waste goes to an incinerator that burns it and recovers energy. Incinerators reduce the volume of waste, but landfills are still needed to bury the ash that burning produces. Both incinerators and landfills are expensive and can take a long time to locate and build.
Ways that we can clean up our act at home by finding out if there is a recycling program in your community. If so, participate in the program by separating recyclable and taking them to your local drop-off or buy-back center, or put them out for curbside pickup. Don't throw away what you can use again-plastic containers, for example. Leave your grass clippings on the lawn or compost them with leaves. When choosing between similar products, select the one with the least unnecessary packaging. The residence halls on campus and campus classroom buildings all have recycled centers set up. Whether its set up for aluminum cans, paper contents, or plastic bottles, we too are trying to encourage our students to participate in saving our environment. Support recycling markets by buying and using products made from recycled material. Also, get involved by participating or start a voluntary recycling program with a local college, church or community service organization.
In conclusion, you can use recycled and recyclable products, organize recycling programs, and encourage your neighbors to recycle just as we contribute to our nation's increasing garbage problem, we can all contribute to its solution by recycling. RECYCLE. For the environment and the future.
JMM4175@uncwil.edu, Jennifer Moody