By: Kameswara Sishta and Mia Buccowich
For some people, recycling is an everyday part of life. For others, it proves to be a little bit more difficult. Usually this is because recycling is not convenient to where they live. Fortunately for residents of the Chester County area, we have access to a great recycling program. The lancaster landfill recycles a great variety of items which can be found here. These items can be recycled directly at your curb on trash day.
One prominent reason why people do not recycle, according to a Huffington Post survey, is that it takes up too much time. Whether that is cleaning the food scraps off of plastics or bringing it to the proper receptacle, somewhere along the line the decision is made that the impact that the recycling will make is not great enough to merit the effort to recycle. This is a myth that must be broken. Below are just a few of the positive impacts of recycling for the environment and humanity.
Reduce the Size of Landfills
Not only through recycling are you helping to reduce your own carbon footprint, but you are also helping to reduce the size of landfills within the United States. This means that people who recycle are contributing to the decrease in the size of a landfill which in hand helps to reduce the amount of pollution generated by landfills.
Prevent the Loss of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of and availability of life in a given ecosystem. You may be wondering how recycling helps with the availability of life. Essentiality, when you decide to recycle a piece of trash or something that is no longer needed by you, you prevent that from landing in landfills where it may never degrade. Since it does not degrade, the space taken up by the waste reduces the land that is available for other organisms to thrive. So recycling helps save the habitats of the various exotic and unique wildlife in your area. Keep that in mind when you decide to recycle.
Saves Energy
Recycling helps save space, animals, but it also helps in saving the amount of energy that is used up by society on a daily basis. By recycling, you are allowing that material to be used somewhere else for another purpose. It prevents us from having to create new materials over and over, the process of which uses up a ton of energy, which could be used for another purpose.
Saves Money
This one should be fairly self explanatory. Recycling means you are not wasting that specific piece of trash, but instead letting it be used for another purpose. This means that you do not have to spend the money to create a completely new product, rather, the materials you recycled gets reused, saving money for everyone!
Given all of the ways that we can recycle and the importance of recycling within one’s own life how can you effectively recycle at home?
The first step is the easiest, get a recycling bin. You can get these from your local township building. Once you have your recycling bin the next step is understanding what type of recycling plant you have. Is your recycling separated for you or do you need to separate it yourself? Once this is established you can begin recycling!!
There are a few important things to remember in regards to recycling.
- Make sure that your recycling does not contain any sort of food waste
- ALWAYS separate out plastics from paper
- When recycling bottles make sure to take the lid off
- Here is a list of things that are mistakenly recycled
- Soft plastic i.e. plastic bags, packaging for some foods
- Paper cups (they aren’t actually paper)
- Plastic bottle caps
It is also important to remember that recycling is not limited to just your trash. One of the most important aspects of recycling is the recycling of products for a different purpose. These items can be reused within your own home or donated. By bringing clothes or furniture to Goodwill or other thrift stores not only do you get tax benefits but you’re allowing someone else to make use of a shirt or vacuum you no longer have a use for. You’re extending the life of the product and allowing someone else to make memories with it!
There are stores, such as Giant and Wegmans, who will take your plastic bags. While soft plastics cannot be recycled at your curb, by recycling them to these companies they are. Before you bring your plastic bags to the store to return though there are a few other ways they can be used; as doggy bags, trash bags, or even for the storage of other plastic bags! If you are looking for a program where you will be able to benefit more directly from the actions that you are taking, Staples has a program which encourages its patrons to recycle. You can become a Staples rewards member and return ink cartridges to them. They will reuse these cartridges and you will receive points towards your Staples account.
Sources:
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). “Waste Prevention at Home.” California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), 29 Mar. 2017, www.calrecycle.ca.gov/reducewaste/home/.
Duester, Megan. “11 Ideas for Easier Recycling at Home.” Thegoodstuff, 30 Mar. 2016, www.coupons.com/thegoodstuff/recycling-at-home/.
“How to Recycle.” Recycling Guide, 23 Oct. 2013, www.recycling-guide.org.uk/recycle.html.
Moore, Andrea. “Recycle Me This.” Fix It, www.fix.com/blog/guide-to-recycling/.
“Recycling Basics for the Home.” Eartheasy, eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm.