Great Green Idea: Green Living: Recycling is Not a Bad Word

Recycling is Not a Bad Word

How can recycling be a bad word? As a matter of fact recycling is a very good word and easy as well. Start by checking out the recycling programs in your community. Ask about pickup days or locate drop off sites for the items you wish to recycle. Communities also have clean-up days and hold special events specifically for recycling. Check out the many great reasons to recycle and be proud about doing so.

Save Our Resources

When you recycle you allow resources to go back to manufacturers to be used again. This is a closed-loop system that stops disposal of reusable materials. Pollution and destruction of natural resources are halted when we recycle materials.

Pollute No More

Recycling greatly reduces pollution. How? Recycle instead of using new materials when manufacturing produces. It reduces mining, drilling and harvesting methods that harm the environment in surmountable numbers. For example, producing recycled copy paper allows 74 % less air pollution and 35 % less water pollution then when making paper from new fibers. Recycled cans reduce air pollution by 95 % and water pollution by 97 %. Efforts to recycle and remanufacture are more effective in saving the planet than landfilling and virgin manufacturing.

Saves Energy and Money

How does recycling contribute to energy conservation? Recycle waste. It saves billions of gallons of gasoline and is equivalent to taking 25 millions cars off the US roads each year. By recycling one million tons of aluminum, glass, newspaper, office paper and plastic, Americans can save millions of barrels of oils each year. When recycled goods are sold they not only save money in the collection and processing of goods, it cleans the environment and actually reduces health care costs related to environmental health.

More Recycling Equals More Jobs

There is gainful employment in the recycling processing or recycled-based manufacturing industry. Statistics show that every one job in landfilling has 10 jobs in recycling-processing and 25 jobs in recycle-base manufacturing. How that for an eco-friendly economy?

Recycle This and That

There are some things that you can recycle that you may not have even considered. Before you try to recycle items or if you have questions about what particular items are recyclable, ask your city. Some items that may be able to be recycle in your city include: aerosol cans (remember to take plastic caps off), backpacks, beach balls, carpeting, cell phones, compact fluorescent light bulbs, crayons, crocodile leather shoes, metal cleaning and food cans, film canisters, fire extinguishers, food processors, formal wear, gadgets, glue, glue strips and magazine inserts, wire and plastic hangers, hearing aids, holiday greeting cards, jelly and jam jars, keys, nail clippers, leather products, makeup, milk cartons and spiral notebooks just to name a few.