Picture:
A landfill full of decomposing waste.
Summary: When you throw your recyclables or trash into the
proper bins, do you actually think for a second about where it all goes? Do the
companies actually recycle, or do they just dump it into landfills along with
all of the other waste? The movement of
recycling in America came around in 1973, and it soon became a very large
public service. Recycling is great for the environment because it reduces the
amount of waste going into landfills. Recycling can also be very beneficial to
the people recycling and other big companies. Recyclables are considered a
commodity, or goods that can be sold, and these recyclables are broken down
into raw materials and then sold to companies to make certain products. But
does everything you recycle actually make it this far, or is it sometimes a
fraud?
Sometimes recyclable materials can
be soiled with other materials that make recycling them a big deal. When it
becomes difficult to separate the two, it also becomes extremely expensive to
do so. Some items such as pizza boxes with grease on it cannot be recycled due
to foreign materials. Also, broken glass in many different colors can be
extremely difficult to separate and recycle. Naturally, companies and schools
do not want to spend extra money to recycle, so they have the bins that are to
be recycled, but end up putting it all in the trash anyway. This leads people
to be quite unsure about exactly where their recyclables are going to end
up.
Opinion/Reflection:
I was slightly surprised at the idea that my recyclables
might not end up where they are intended to go, but I am not surprised that
people would not recycle due to costs. I understand that it can be a lot of
money to recycle, especially in these rough times, but people need to realize
the benefits greatly outweigh the minor financial setbacks. Although this is
how people are, and it does not just happen with recycling.
Questions:
11)
What are some reasons why recycling companies
cannot make recycling more affordable?
22)
How can recycling companies make recycling more
affordable?
33)
What are some other examples of companies not
following recycling laws?
44)
What is a trash audit?
Reaction: I agree that it makes me angry to think that our recycling materials might not make it to the recycling plants. It takes some extra effort to recycle and I think everyone who does it expects that their efforts are helping the environment. But according to this article, some recycled materials don't make it because they are mixed with other items and the cost would be too much to separate. I wonder sometimes if people just may not be informed or know what is actually recyclable and what is not. For example, we put our pizza boxes in the recycle bin never expecting that some grease on it would be a problem.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What can be done to make sure people understand what is recyclable verses what should not be placed in the recycle bin?
7
Reaction: I never really thought that the things I recycle may not end up actually being recycled. Whenever I recycle my water bottles, I always think I am doing such a good job because I am being environmentally friendly. It angers me that my consious effort to help the environment could be wasted. I know that things can get very expensive, but in the long run, recycling will help our world so much. Maybe we can figure out a way to "clean" our waste before sending it to a recycling plwnt, so that it can be ryccled properly.
ReplyDeleteQuestion Answer: A trash audit is a formal, structured process used to quantify the amount and types of waste being generated by an organisation.
Expansion: I found this article that discusses the same topic.
http://earth911.com/news/2011/07/12/are-your-recyclables-really-being-recycled/
Reaction:
ReplyDeleteIt kind of upsets me that ever since we were little we've had adults pound the idea of recycling in our heads when many of them can't keep track to see if it is actually working. It's even worse knowing that basically the worlds motto right now is to go green, however we are still doing things like this. I think that even though the process is expensive it is worth it to have a cleaner world.
Question:
How can people monitor recycling better and make sure it goes to the right place?
Reaction: I have just recently learned this and it annoys and angrys me that our efforts to recyle aren't even worth it when some of it ends up in land fills anyway, exspecially if its just because people dont know whats recycleable or don't recycle it correctly in the first place. I do believe we should stick with recycling and hope we firgure a way out to make it more efficent.
ReplyDelete4:"A waste audit is a formal, structured process used to quantify the amount and types of waste being generated by an organisation. Information from audits will help identify current waste practices and how they can be improved"