Waste Recycling Needs our Support

By: Michael Russell
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:24:52
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Over the centuries, increasing technology has caused increased industrial productions. Since products are made to be consumed, increasing consumerism has created a continuous problem with waste management. In the past, waste management primarily entailed the collection and disposal of waste materials. Then, the commonest method of waste disposal was landfills because they were relatively cheap compared with other available methods. Waste was used to fill in disused pieces of land, like mining voids. The waste was compressed, buried beneath the earth and covered to prevent vermin and the wind blowing away litter. However, landfills are no longer that cheap and easy. Disused pieces of land are now more difficult to find and landowners are no longer willing to allow the use of land close to theirs for this purpose. Incineration was also a good choice, since it involved completely burning the waste inside a closed chamber. However, concerns with the release of toxic gas and ash have also made this alternative less attractive. Thus, recycling of waste is now the most accepted and preferred method of waste management.

Recycling involves collecting used materials regarded as waste to be re-used in making new products. With recycling, waste materials are put to better use. It involves separating the waste with respect to its raw material base and then re-using it as materials to make new products. Obviously, recycling is the most constructive approach to waste management, because the benefits cut across several sectors.

The first and most apparent merit of recycling is that it leaves us with reduced waste to worry about, as all waste material that can be recycled is passed through the industrial process again, leaving only waste that cannot be recycled for disposal. However, this is just one of the several merits of recycling. Making use of waste materials for production reduces the cost of production, because it is far cheaper to produce new products from waste than from the original raw material. In addition reduced waste to be disposed off ensures a healthier environment and the reduced energy consumption that goes into making new products from waste also means reduced green house gas emission from the industrial process.

However, not every type of waste can be recycled and this is perhaps one of the downsides of recycling as a complete waste management policy. Nevertheless, most waste materials can be recycled and those that cannot be recycled can then be easily managed. Materials that are commonly recycled include glass, paper, aluminum, asphalt and steel. Recycling is the best thing that has ever happened to waste management in human history; never before has man been able to make money from 'useless' materials. For example, in some societies, people are paid to bring their waste for recycling and there is an increasing proliferation of recycling facilities around the world today. Over the past ten years, the percentage of total waste recycled has more than doubled, though some materials are better recycled than others. Averagely, it is estimated that almost 30% of all waste is now recycled with soft drink and beer cans topping the list of recycled materials.

Although, the procedure for recycling varies from one country to the other, depending on government policies, it is important to try as individuals and organizations to support recycling of waste in any way that we can. A safe and healthy environment is the responsibility of us all.

Article source: Expert Articles