Recycling: Very Important for the Earth

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“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?”

--Robert Redford, Yosemite National Park dedication, 1985

Recycling has been around for a very long time; thousands of years to be exact. Some recycling methods then were recycling animal skins and scrap metal. Animal skins were re-used by the Indians for clothes, shoes and shelter and metal was melted down to make swords and other weapons. However, now, century’s later metal is still melted down to make things such as airplanes, cars, appliances, war weapons and much, much, more. And animal skin is still used today, to make shoes, boots and certain clothing items; such leather coats. Recycling became noticed as a trend by the public in the 1970’s. The industries have known about recycling for years. The public grabbed the concept that turning old items into new ones was just as much their duty as well as industries when the environment began to go unhealthy and when recycling centers opened. Now, curbside recycling programs and recycling centers are common. In 2009, approximately 9,000 curbside recycling programs and 3,000 composting communities existed in the United States (EPA 2010). You can now recycle at home and in airports, schools, and the workplace. What is recycling? , What does waste consist of? , and what are the benefits of recycling?

Recycling basics and steps

What is recycling? Recycling can be defined as making a new product from used

materials or “to adapt to a new use” and “to make ready for reuse” seem to fit best

(Merriam-Webster, 2011). Don’t confused reusing with recycling. Reusing is far different from recyc...

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... incineration and landfills, prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials; saves energy; decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change; conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals; and helps sustain the environment for future generations (EPA 2011a and Palliser 2011).

In conclusion revisiting recycling has been a great experience. Recycling is very important for the earth and clean air. We need to continue to do our part in protect the environment and making sure that landfills decrease instead of increasing and that are properly maintained. Recycling is very important for earth. Many companies are on broad with recycling doing their part to help decrease waste.

Works Cited

Palliser, Janna. (2011). Revisiting recycling. Science Scope. November 2011, pp. 14-17.

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