How much thought have you given to recycling?

Question

I have seen a lot of questions here concerning the current state of the planet and almost as many questions about what we can do. What I want to know is how much thought is being given by people toward the act of recycling. If we are as concerned for our planet as it appears in Q&A is there a reason Recycling doesn't come up more in the answer? I am looking for serious thought on this topic. And would like to have people put forth their reasons why the do or don't recycle.

Edit: I am not a student working on a homework assignment so I would appreciate your best response. Thank you.

Answer 1

Each time I'm about to purchase something I really try to buy 'whatever' in something recyclable... drinks for instance I try to find glass bottles... it tastes better and glass can be reused so many more times than almost anything else.
Same goes for jars... I buy things in jars... after the contents are emptied I use the jar for something else (like baking soda for in a washroom to clean the sink... it's handy)
Try to purchase things in cardboard boxes too.
We really try to avoid plastics.
My shopping bags are cloth... reusable obviously.

It's rare to find plastic bottles at our home but it does happen... I reuse them before recycling them... large bottles I dry out and store bird seed in.... no moths.

Each day I really try to reuse something before it gets recycled but foremost I really try to reduce the amount our house consumes as far as products go and what garbage it generates.

We have a compost pile for everything organic... from yard waste to kitchen waste.
We also collect the metal tabs on pop cans for a local charity that collects aluminium to fund wheelchairs for those who can't afford them.

We do what we can... it doesn't inconvenience us at all... it saves us money and we feel better knowing our habits help.
I'm motivated by trying to reduce pollution in all forms.

Just drives me crazy when other people think it's so hard to modify their life a little... thinking it's a chore to do... bet they think the same for brushing their teeth!
That's how I feel, thanks for the question!

Answer 2

As previously stated there are serious flaws with recycling for certain materials. For most of these they are no where near cost effective and some are just absolutely ridiculous. Recycling paper is a more or less a worthless thing and actually when all the processing is done it hurts the environment from the extra burning of fossil fuels in the recycling process. Other non-renewable resources are more cost effective and recycling should increase in these fields. That said there should be increased discussion on recycling for the cost effective materials such as aluminum and batteries. These should definitely be recycled. I personally also believe in recycling plastics when possible. Even if it is not cost effective they take such a long time to break down that they probably should be recycled to help mother earth.

Answer 3

Recycling facilities need to inform the public more. Participation rates from around the country are only about 40%. Recycling facilities aren't very profitable so there isn't a high demand. Plus, more people need to buy recycled materials for recycling to be effective. What it comes down to is public awareness and people not being lazy.

Answer 4

Many towns that have previously started recycling projects have over time withdrawn from it. It turns out recycling projects are very expensive. It's probably because not enough people recycle.

It costs more to have a company come in and sort out all the recycling materials. I see very few people recycle in my community.

Maybe companies should think of better ways of packaging their products then there would be less garbage.

Answer 5

i recycle, but i don't particularly think about it.