The Definition and Benefits of Recycling

What if you knew that the world’s safety was literally in your hand? Would you save it? These questions are important to ponder because human beings possess the power to change the environment for the better through the process of recycling. By recycling, one can save the world by helping to reduce hazardous waste that increases the level of harmful greenhouse gases in the environment. The purpose of this report is to define recycling, giving reasons why it is necessary to participate in recycling programs and espousing the steps, roles, and benefits of recycling from both personal and situational (or environmental) standpoints.

Due to concern for the environment, there has been a proliferation of pro-environment attitudes, which are considered both desirable and socially-acceptable (Derksen & Gartrell, 1993). When investigating reducing waste via recycling methods, there are two strategies—personal and situational. Personal strategies for looking at recycling behaviors entails attempting to identify the qualities of an individual “that are associated with recycling behavior” (Schultz, Oskamp, & Mainieri, 1995, p. 105). Situational strategies, on the other hand, focus on a certain environment which facilitates specific recycling behaviors. The most accepted definition of recycling is “the process through which materials previously used are collected, processed, remanufactured, and reused” (Schultz et al., 1995). In terms of personal strategy, the act of recycling has a strong grass-roots support level in American households (De Young, 1989).

There are many salient reasons why people should invest their time and energy into recycling efforts. First, there are intrinsic motives, like satisfaction, that give people inspiration to rec...

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Recycling basics. (2014). Retrieved from http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics

Schultz, P.W., Oskamp, S., & Mainieri, T. (1995). Who recycles and when? A review of personal and situational factors. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 105-121.

Source reduction and recycling. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/region4/rcra/mgtoolkit/documents/Climate_Change_Fact_Sheet.pdf Steuteville, R. (1993). Corporate recycling reaps savings. Retrieved from http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/30/29369.pdf The abc of recycling. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/Global/africa/publications/GPRecyclingEBook.pdf The recycling process. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/recycling-process.html Why recycle? (n.d.). Retrieved from

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