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What is meant by recycling?
Recycling, in simple terms, is defined as a process of making new objects out of the used or waste materials. It also comprises breaking down waste materials and using them as raw material for new objects.
Recycling is mainly done in a recycling manner. It can thus also be used in the place of traditional waste disposal methods. Some of the most known recycling materials include glass, paper, plastic, cardboard, tires, metal textiles, and more.
Moreover, the US is one of the most known highest producers of municipal waste globally, but it usually recycles a considerably small amount of waste. While on the other hand, China and India represent nearly about 36 per cent of the global population but produce around 27 per cent of the total waste.
In this article, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of recycling.
Pros of Recycling
Recycling has the following pros.
1) Provides environmental benefits:
This one is obvious when you recycle materials, you divert them from landfills and then from incinerators where trash goes. Whether burnt in incinerators or left to rot in landfills, materials in our trash can leach chemicals into the ground, air and water.
Recycling reduces the waste that directly goes to polluting incinerators and landfills. Thus it also reduces the need to devote land and resources to traditional waste disposal methods.
2) Create Jobs:
Recycling is the source of jobs in the community, and recycling plants also help manufacture recycled products and create recycling-related materials such as recycling bins that contribute to job growth in the economy. It can also be a source of green jobs, leading to middle-class jobs for people without a lot of education under their belt.
Also, using renewable energy, recycling can be a source of green jobs, which some say is critical to the economy 21st century strong.
3) Raises overall environment consciousness:
It can serve as a gateway to other forms of environmental activism. A homeowner might start by recycling and can be graduate to composing or installing solar panels.
Recycling in particular cities also offers curbside pickup of recyclables and also are an easy way to do something for the environment. It can lead to other green lifestyle changes too.
4) Reduces energy used to manufacture goods:
You can say a company wants to make a garment and generate the textile form; it also means harvesting the cotton or linen crop or manufacturing the synthetic fibre.
On the other hand, if a company uses recycled products, it can simply cut out the manufacturing process’s first step. It also helps to save energy as a result. To some extent, recycling also reduces the need for growth.
5) Generates educational opportunities and reduces the consumption of fossil fuel:
Recycling is beneficial, and doing well helps to take care of the waste we produce irrespective of the morals we instil in our community.
Creating awareness about handling waste can be even more significant than recycling itself. Imparting communities with the proper information can lead to fewer waste materials by reuse or less consumption.
Moreover, one can say that recycling for most products requires less energy than what is required in a new production process. This is one of the main reasons that recycling will use less fossil fuel like oil which makes it cheaper than when oil prices are high.
Cons of recycling:
Now let’s have a look at some cons of recycling.
1. Takes too much energy:
Did you ever hear the phrase, Reduce, reuse and recycle? Well, some environmentalists still argue that reuse and reduce have more environmental benefits than recycle. That’s why if you consume fewer items, you are doing more for the environment than if you consume more and recycle than what you want.
Recycling takes energy and as does manufacturing products from recycled materials.
2. Lead to pollution:
Some people say that the environmental benefits of recycling are overrated and not just because it takes energy, but it can lead to pollution. This is also because of electronics recycling in particular. Many of the electronics slated for recycling are shipped overseas to less developed countries.
During the sorting process, metals and other chemicals may leach into the land and water where recycling is taking place.
3) Costly:
Some of the critics of recycling say that costs outweigh the benefits and exceed community resources. Cities and some towns also say that they cannot afford to operate recycling programs. In the U.S, landfill space is cheaply available, and it means that cost of recycling can exceed the cost of landfill water disposal in many places.
Of course, some of the materials cost more to recycle than others. This is why some city governments choose not to recycle glass or plastic. Moreover, the overall cost of recycling can vary not just based on the recycling program’s administration and demand for recycled materials.
4) Not a slam dunk:
While some critics of recycling argue that recycling gives people the experience, they are all doing it as they need to do on behalf of the environment. Others say that recycling alone is not enough said fight climate change or eliminate pollution. These critics also worry that there will be too many people who shop a lot and eat many animal products.
It can also take long-haul flights, but recycling offsets the environmental impact of their choices.
Bottom-line:
In conclusion, many people argue that recycling has many significant benefits, but still, it is not a perfect solution to our environmental problems. Though it has many inconveniences, it has empowered households and businesses to feel like they are doing something to make the community better.
Whether its metal, glass or plastic or any other type of recycling, the process’s benefits seem to outweigh the negatives.
This article entails the total pros and cons of recycling.
