Recycling: an Imperative Need for Mankind
Recycling is a process of the repeated use of different kinds of waste materials, which is important for various reasons. We live in the world that produces a lot of waste, due to human activities of different kinds. The amount of waste materials, if not utilized, will take up a huge portion of the living or working space and, which is much worse, seriously affect the environment. The use of waste materials is becoming more efficient with the progress of science and technology. It helps to reduce the amount of raw materials needed for manufacturing industries and the energy necessary for their production. The use of recycling techniques means that people try to be more environment-friendly. Recycling is a key method of waste reduction due to its saving energy and raw materials and being environment-friendly.
Recycling has been practiced by people since the early periods of their history; however, the need for improving it, extending and making it more effective is one of the key problems of our time. Many waste materials that should be recycled still go to landfills. Therefore, the utilization of potentially recycled materials requires more coordinated measures. One of the most important of these is the introduction of legislative regulations making recycling mandatory. Such efforts have been made at municipal and community levels. However, for now, they have not been successful enough. To make recycling cost-effective and continuous, joint efforts and commitment of the federal and local administrations, manufacturers, consumers and other parties are needed. An example of what can be done at a municipal level was demonstrated by officials in Yakima County, Washington State. They are working on implementing a county-wide mandatory recycling program, with the purpose of extending the life of the county’s landfill and reducing the waste that goes into it (Mandatory Recycling Helps Reduce Waste). Dumping various kinds of waste into the landfill is inefficient considering that “recycled paper is an especially important commodity locally and is used by Michelsen Packaging to make tray liners and other packaging for the fruit industry” (Mandatory Recycling Helps Reduce Waste).
Recycling has four basic types, which are curbside, organics, building reuse, and electronic waste utilization, and all of them can be cost-efficient. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) enhances the public environment awareness by holding Earth Days where it popularizes recycling as “an easy way for individuals to protect the Earth and help the economy” (How Better Recycling Can Minimize Waste and Boost the Economy). Statistical data show that American recycling industry provided over one million jobs and more than $236 billion of annual revenue in 2001. In 2010, the U.S. recycling industry sold almost $30 billion recycled materials to over 154 countries across the world (How Better Recycling Can Minimize Waste and Boost the Economy). An insightful analysis of important recycling issues is made by scientists who see the effective way of handling the problem in creating “the model of an economy …
