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Recycling as we know it today was the result of the environmental movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, the national recycling rate has increased from 7.3% to over 30%. Unfortunately, despite the ‘green’ mantra of the 2000s, our national recycling rate has remained unchanged at 33.8% over the past two decades.
But why should we worry about increasing our recycling rates? Why is recycling important? Here are the top four reasons why we should recycle.
Recycling reduces air and water pollution and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to global warming.
Recycling one ton of paper saves:
- 17 trees
- 7,000 gallons of water
- 2 barrels of oil
- 4100 kilowatts of energy
- 2 cubic yards of landfill area
In addition, it prevents air pollution weighing 60 pounds.
Recycling is the gateway to other pro-ecological behaviors.
Recycling is a relatively easy activity to get involved in and allows people to feel like they’re making a difference without requiring major lifestyle changes. When people see that “greening green” is not a major problem, they are more likely to make other small changes to their lives, such as using energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps, spending less on heating and air conditioning or composting, and food waste.
Recycling saves space in the landfill.
Landfills are shrinking and many states are forced to export their waste. Today, Americans produce about 4 pounds of garbage per person per day. This number must be reduced to ensure future sustainability. Landfills are also unpopular with the inhabitants. Homes close to the landfill suffer a 5 to 10% reduction in property value compared to similar homes further away.
Recycling creates jobs.
Sorting and processing secondary raw materials creates ten times more jobs per ton than storage. 10,000 tonnes of waste is enough for just one task in a landfill. 10,000 tons of compost provides 4 jobs. Collected 10,000 tons of recyclable materials provides 10 jobs in a material recovery plant. The news keeps getting better in the manufacturing industry. The same 10,000 tonnes of recycled materials provide 18 jobs in the paper industry, 26 in the glass industry and 93 jobs in the plastics industry. If the computer is reused, 296 jobs are maintained! In addition, manufacturing jobs averaged $ 47,700 per year, compared to about half that of the landfill industry.
summary
Recycling reduces our dependence on landfills, saves resources, reduces pollution and stimulates the labor market. Our future sustainability depends on these factors, both in environmental and economic terms. For these and other reasons, governments need to find ways to increase participation in local programs and thereby increase the national recycling rate.
More information on recycling and job creation can be found at http://www.ilsr.org.
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Source by Erica E Balk