Benefits of Recycling

1646 Words4 Pages

Americans produce millions of tons of waste in our communities every day. On trash pick-up days, we push up carts to the curb and workers dump the substances into big trucks and tow it away. I still wonder if some even think where the trash is going and the negative impacts it has. Some people after finishing their meals throw uneaten food, drink cups, and napkins in the same garbage containers. Do they ever think that the more they continue with this habit, the landfills will end up filled? Or they will realize the consequences after these landfills are a few away from their houses. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] Americans produced 243 million tons of waste about 4.3 pounds of waste per person per day in 2009. If this rate continues, within 50 years, about 2,200 landfills that exist today will reach their full capacity. To make a difference, every household should reduce, reuse and recycle. If one household can make a difference, the whole community would result in a huge positive outcome to the environment.

Recycling refers to the process of collecting used materials which is considered as waste and reprocessing them. In this process, the materials collected for recycling are classified and processed to be used as raw materials for the fabrication of other new products. Re-use is different from recycle because it means using old products repeatedly while recycling means using the underlying elements of an old product as raw material to create new goods.

Although recycling looks promising in reducing the harm done to the environment, it has some disadvantages. This process requires lots of dedication to collect and reprocess materials back into raw form; hence, re-use is a better option. Low...

... middle of paper ...

...ng.

Works Cited

“Beverage Container Recycling: It’s in Your Hands.” Cal Recycle. Apr 29 2011. Web. Jul 25. 2011. http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainer/CashingIn.htm

Freudenrich, Craig. “How Landfill Works.” nd. Web. Jul 29 2011. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental.green-science/landfill.htm/printable

Williams, T. Personal Interview. Jul 19 2011.

“Serving Southwestern San Joaquin County.” Delta Disposal Solid Waste Management Inc. 2009. Web. Jul 25 2011. http://www.tdswm.com

“The Town of Stockton has a Mandatory Recycling Program For All Residents.” Recycle Program. Jul 11 2011. Web. Jul 25 2011. http://townofstockton.com/Services/Waste/recycle_program.htm

“Wastes-Non-Hazardous Waste- Municipal Solid Waste.” Environmental Protection Agency. Jul 27. 2011. Web. Jul 29. 2011. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm

Open Document