Why is recycling important?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is about 250 million tons of garbage produced in the United States each year. We can try to decrease this amount by recycling. Many materials can be reused and even though they may look like unnecessary pieces of garbage, they may be still useful when they are delivered to recycling centers. By recycling we can save natural resources (such as water, timber and minerals) in order to save the land from being polluted by garbage dumps, as well as reduce contamination of water and air.
What and how to recycle?
If you want to live environmentally friendly, you should recycle: newspapers, glass, metal objects, and plastics. Most of the garbage that can be recycled will be collected from your home, but sometimes you may have to visit one of many recycling centers on your own. If you have some appliances or electronics to recycle, you should find a drop-off spot in your area. Some things can be sold at buy-back recycling centers – for example a car or metal products. If you have toxic or hazardous materials, you should dispose of them in their designated places.
Some facts and figures
According to EPA, U.S. citizens managed to recycle 83 million tons garbage in 2008 which gives a recycle rate of 33%. This is a good score; however some European countries manage to recycle up to 60% of their waste. What is important, it gave a reduction of 182 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The best results can be seen in case of recovery of auto batteries (99%), office-type paper (72%) and steel cans (63%).
To sum things up, recycling is necessary if we want to save our planet for future generations. It helps not only to decrease the amount of waste that surrounds us, but also to preserve some natural resources and reduce the pollution of soil, water and air. If you want to support the idea of recycling, you should not only sort your garbage and return it to recycling centers, but also purchase products made of recycled materials.
{ 0 comments }