Ironically, everyone knows the benefits of recycling despite the astonishing amount of pollution created yearly in America. America started recycling in 1970 when recycling centers opened and by 2009 America had 9,000 curbside recycling trash programs plus 3,000 composting communities available (Palliser). According to the Janna Palliser, a 2013 study done by the EPA, deduced annually Americans produced 254 million tons of municipal solid waste while the recycled amount is a measly 87 million tons equaling 34.3%. Moreover, America should aspire to raise yearly recycling percentages considerably higher than “34.3 %”; however, the “34.3 %” concludes recycling prevented “186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide” from being expelled into the air
Many people believe that recycling efforts should be funded. They think that many great things could come out of recycling especially when efforts are funded. People hope that by funding recycling efforts will help with climate change by producing less carbon. In an article from the economist they state "Making cans from recycled aluminum, the most valuable container material, requires 95% less energy and creates 90% less greenhouse-gas emissions than virgin stock, yet more than 40 billion aluminum cans hit America 's landfills
A reason that recycling should not be apart of everyday american society is that over the years it has been costly and it has been causing more pollution by sending trucks to collect the recycling then the recycling process itself. Data shows
Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to change the world. I suppose I got this notion by watching superhero shows as a kid. However, unlike the heroes on television, I didn’t have any powers; therefore, I had to think of a new way to change the world. Thus, I came up with the idea of recycling. Annually, we dump over two billion tons of waste into landfills. The waste from these landfills contributes to environmental problems. Consequently, we can’t go a day without recycling, or we risk the chance of destroying the Earth through accumulation of pollution. Unfortunately, recycling is taken too lightly; that’s why I’ve made it my mission to inform my community of the necessity of recycling.
A controversy issue in the United States is whether or not we should be involved in the controlling international pollution. Pollution is problem world-wide. Many would like to be involved in pollution while others would not. I believe that the United States should not be involved in the controlling of international pollution.
The United States produces roughly 250 million tons of solid waste, or garbage, on an annual basis. This number equates to 4.4 pounds of solid waste created by every American on a daily basis (Miller, Meindl, & Caradine, 2016). The recycling rate in the U.S. is around 35%, meaning over 165 million tons of waste is placed in the nation’s landfills or incinerated each year (Mozo-Reyes, Jambeck, Reeves, & Johnsen, 2015). Landfilling recyclables contributes to a greater strain on global resources because materials that may have been reused must now be replaced (Miller, et.al. 2016). Landfilling waste also contributes to air pollution through the release of methane (Delkash, Zhou, and Singh, 2016) and poses threats to groundwater near landfills (Talalaj & Biedka, 2016). As the population of the nation (and the world) increases, strategies must be found to reuse resources rather than simply disposing of them.
Do you know that many americans do not know how important recycling is? In the article “Importance of Recycling” by Rinkesh he says, “Recycling is important in today’s world if we want to leave this planet for our future generations.” This statement explains how many americans do not know how important recycling is to keep this planet and many more generations going. Many people do not know the different ways recycling helps out our enviroment. Personally, recycling is important for the environment, which is why I decide participate in it and recycle at home. I like to recycle cans and bottles. In my opinion, there are many factors as to why the environment needs recycling, but to shorten the process I came up with three major needs as to why
Water Pollution has been an increasing problem over the last few years. Pollution comes from many different things; agricultural, urban runoff, industrial, sedimentary, animal wastes, and leeching from landfills/septic systems just to name a few (Resources). The reason why pollution has increased over the years is because the rise in population and the advancements in technology the society has made. If society plans on having their resources here for many years to come they are going to have to make some drastic changes in the way they treat the earth, and these changes will have to start with their pollutants (Foundation).
1) Are you aware of the amount of waste you create each day? I do not believe anyone is completely aware of the amount of waste they generate on a daily basis. It is such a natural action – throw something in the trash – that it is automatic and done without much or any consideration as to where it goes, where it came from, or where will it ultimately go or become. I do recycle and compost when possible, but that too becomes a process that sometime appears moot because products are being made from materials that do not qualify or require special centers for recycling.1 We have become a “use it and throw it away” society.
Americans have yet to face the unnerving reality of the fact that “in 2008 only 7.1% of the 30.05 million tons of plastic waste in America was recycled” (Linn). This low percentage is shocking, outrageous, and should terrify the American public, but this number can change. Recycling is not just a feel good experience; it is a way to help save energy, space, and money. However, with the enormous amount of trash being thrown out each year, landfills are increasing in size creating numerous issues. The staggering amount of waste increases greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming and building up dangerous toxins that sink underground into our soil and water, overflows into wildlife habitats and oceans, and costs a large amount of money to remove. By fining residents who incorrectly dispose of recyclable goods, implementing recycling as a requirement in educational institutions and other business and residential settings, categorizing the
The people of America throw away more trash than any other society in the world! America consumes 80 percent of our planet's resources, even though we make up only 20 percent of the world's population (Cooper 267). The average person throws away 4.3 pounds of trash each day. That's about 30 pounds per week and 120 pounds per month! (“Reduce and Reuse” 1). Americans throw away too much - that's the bottom line (Cooper 265). There is a garbage crisis in America and “the only part of the anti-waste message that has taken hold to any noticeable degree is the call to recycle” (Cooper 267). Our country's issues on trash and recycling go hand in hand. America produces too much trash, and the environment is suffering. There is some effort
Within regions of the U.S. that are home to heavy snowfall, it is a common practice to pour salt on the roads. The reason for this is because a property of salt allows it to lower the melting point of water, which makes it much easier to clear the streets of snow and ice that would otherwise leave the roads dangerous, unusable and slippery. It is a simple way to reduce car accidents, and it is also much cheaper compared to the alternative chemicals that can be used for the same purpose. However, the salt that most cities use doesn’t simply disappear after it has done its job. It typically gets washed away into reservoirs, watersheds, lakes and streams. In fact, researchers in Minnesota found that 70% of the salt used on roads in the twin
Do people pollute? In the United States, we contribute to 30% of the world’s waste(“Pollution Facts”). Because of that, the effects of pollution are killing humans and the environment around us. If we tend to be oblivious to this problem any longer it could be our downfall. Therefor, Pollution is a problem that is constantly overlooked and something needs to be done about it.
The United States of America has come a long way since its inception. The development of homes, cars, technologies, goods, and services has evolved. Also, the way in which Americans consume has drastically changed. And with all these great things, came solid waste generation, and unfortunately not methods for disposing of it in an environmentally friendly manner. The United States is the top trash-producing country in the world at over 1,600 pounds per person per year. Although the U.S. accounts for 5% of the world’s population, it generates 40% of the world’s waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010 “Americans generated about 250 million tons of trash and recycled and composted over 85 million tons of materials, resulting in 34.1 percent recycling rate. On average, each American generates about 4.43 pounds of waste each day. Only 1.51 pounds of that material were recycled and composed” (EPA, 2010).
Public garbage cans, waste management vehicles and even several businesses all promote the need for recycling. These things should serve as a constant reminder to us of the importance of recycling. Consumers produce a large scale of garbage (ARTICLE 1) the average American discards seven and a half pounds of garbage every day. If Americans take an active role in recycling, we can work to reduce the amount of garbage currently in our landfills and dumps. Recycling has become more of a responsibility rather than a way to earn or save money. It can help clean and protect our environment for each other and the generations ahead. Landfills are growing quickly, which are affecting our environment as well as our resources. This is where recycling materials such as plastic, paper, glass, etc., play a huge role in conserving our resources.
Human beings are destroying their earth every single day, more now than ever. As technology advances, humans are beginning to speed up the process of ruining their earth. Some even say that by the time this generation’s grandchildren are born there will no longer be any more natural resources left for them to survive on. One thing is sure, for this not to happen, humans must begin to take care of their beloved earth. There are many ways to help prevent the problem, but one huge way to prevent it is by recycling. Recycling has had a huge impact on earth already and will continue to if more and more people begin to contribute.