In the face of the green revolution, many people talk about recycling as an important step toward saving the planet. Recycling prevents the unnecessary destruction of precious natural resources, conserves energy and saves limited landfill space. Additionally, it often serves as many people’s first step into making more environmentally responsible decisions.
Significance
You may not realize how much garbage you generate, but the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that if you are an average American, you toss out 3 1/2 pounds of trash every day, and you use approximately 650 pounds of paper annually. During your lifetime, you will likely throw away 600 times your adult weight in trash, according to Western Michigan University.
Considerations
Although Americans comprise about 5 percent of the world’s population, they produce over a quarter of the world’s garbage according to Portland State University. However, American landfill space is rapidly vanishing. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports that in 1978 there were 14,000 landfills in operation; by 2006 that number had shrunk to a mere 1,754.
Types
Many materials can be recycled, including paper, metal, glass and plastic. Every little thing kept out of a landfill makes a big difference because it can take a long time for some products to decompose naturally in the ground. Tin cans will remain in the earth for a century, glass bottles for 200 to 500 years and aluminum cans won’t decompose for at least a million years, reports Western Michigan University.
Benefits
Many people don’t realize that recycling saves more than just landfill space. It also saves energy and preserves precious natural resources. Recycled white paper production generates 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less water pollution while using 75 percent less energy than making paper from virgin fibers, reports the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Recycling a ton of cardboard saves more than nine cubic yards of space in a landfill. A ton of newspaper, when recycled, saves 15 trees and enough energy to power a television for 31 hours. Recycling aluminum cans creates 95 percent less air pollution, 97 percent less water pollution, and uses 96 percent less energy than making cans from new ore.
Theories/Speculation
According to Oberlin College, each day humans increase carbon levels in the atmosphere by 15 million tons, level 115 square miles of rainforest and create 72 square miles of desert. Furthermore, the inhabitants of planet Earth eradicate 40 to 100 species of plants and animals, erode 71 million tons of topsoil and contribute 2,700 tons of CFCs to the stratosphere daily.
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