The process of recycling we have all heard of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but what exactly is it? What does it do? Can I effect the world around me by doing something as simple as putting a can in a different bin? Well recycling is a process of manufacturing new goods out of already used materials into new items to be re-usable rather than sending the waste to landfills.
Now what exactly is a landfill? Landfills are sites for the disposal of waste materials by burial, and they are the most used form of disposing of waste in America. Landfills are very harsh towards our environment. This is where waste is sent to sit and take up space.
The recycling process here at the school is a very well put together one. The Cougar Claw had the opportunity to sit down with some of the people involved with the program here on campus.
“Our students collect the materials and take it out to be recycled.” head of the program here at the school. “Students are allowed to recycle cell phones, ink cartridges, plastic bottles, paper, etc.”
How can I help with recycling here at the school? “It is somewhat difficult when students that recycle do not empty out their plastic bottles all the way and we have to deal with that mess. And also that some people throw away things in the recycling cans and they think it is a regular trash can so we have to deal with things like gum and other things that aren’t supposed to be recycled.”
The question is asked by the students, is recycling beneficial for me? Fun fact. If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year. Did you know that the amount of waste thrown away has increased by 60% since 1980? These facts are frightening, and it is important to know how our waste disposal impacts the Earth. Why would the choice not be to be beneficial to the world that we live in?
Would the choice rather be sending the waste to a landfill where it will sit and take up space or let it be recycled and reused over and over again rather than letting it be used once, and then never again?
It is a simple concept take something that isn’t useful anymore and turn it into something new.