Recycling is using an already used product, in part or in whole, in the production of a similar or the same product. We can be involved in the recycling process by turning used recyclable materials to our local waste facilities to be reused as raw materials for a new product. Recycling our waste makes us more responsible in the way we use and dispose of it. There are many good reasons why we should add recycling to our routines. It’s important to both the environment and us making it one of the best ways for us to have a positive impact on the world we live in.
Recycling helps in the reduction of pollution by ensuring there is a decrease in the manufacture of fresh materials, avoiding incineration as well as avoiding littering and landfills. When used materials are recycled, there will be less demand for the manufacture of new materials. The manufacturing process damages the environment and the less it takes place, the better. Waste disposed in landfills and later incinerated also pollutes the environment. Pollutants from these landfills may run into rivers or seep into the underground water. Incineration, on the other hand, discharges gases which pollute air and water thus posing a threat to the environment and human health. All these problems associated with inefficient waste management will be avoided when we recycle waste.
Recycling ensures sustainable use of our natural resources. When products that have been manufactured from natural resources are discarded in landfills, we lose them forever and go back to use more natural resources. If these products had been recycled, we would need much less natural resources and save the rest for future generations. Deforestation, for example, has been fueled by cutting of trees for the pulp used to make paper. Destroying forests reduce tree numbers and affect the plants and animals that are found there. Paper is recyclable and if we could fully recycle it, we would save our forests to a great extent.
Recycling also helps us to deal with the toxic electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). As technology continues to grow, obsolescent items are forming toxic electronic waste all over the world. These items can be used to make secondary raw materials instead of being disposed of. Recycling of electronic equipment involves dismantling the parts into plastics, metals, etc and processing them individually to form new materials.
Recycling is necessary for a sustainable life and for the preservation of resources. Unfortunately, many people, though familiar with the meaning of the term recycling, fail to understand the depths of this action and its importance. A clear understanding of recycling and the impacts of living consciously are needed for people to live more responsible lives. There is help available, a few companies like this one, https://reductioninmotion.com/ help reduce the impact of waste on our environment by changing the way people think about trash. They help both small and large organizations design an effective waste management program and then work on-site with them to ensure the success of this program.Together, we can help make the world a better place.
