The concept of Recycling is Reduce
(If the need is not very important don’t buy it), Reuse
(if you must have it, try to use products which can be reused) and Recycle (try to convert the existing unused product into
something new and useable).
Recycling begins at home. You can also take part in
recycling process. Try to use your old products in some creative way. Before
buying a new product from the market try to figure out if you can make use of
your old stuff by any other means. It is very simple, lesser the garbage, more
the land space free for other natural uses.
While shopping please avoid plastic bags. Recycled paper
bags are far better option. Even better, take your own household bags while
shopping. Don’t get dazzled by the packaging of the product. If apart from
packaging, other things remain the same, buy the product which has the minimal
packaging. A lot of money has been spent on the packaging of the product but
all of that goes to the garbage bin. Be wise save your money as well as help in
reducing garbage from the environment.
There are several benefits of recycling:
It reduces the need for fresh raw material in the form of
metal, wood (forest), petroleum etc. When we use a new product made from virgin
materials, there is lots of energy spent on the extraction, refining and
processing of these materials. Just for an example 1 ton of aluminum requires 8
tons of bauxite (the ore from where aluminum is extracted) and 4 tons of
chemicals. If we switch to recycled aluminum cans we can save 90 to 95% of this
energy. A recycled paper needs 2/3 times less energy when compared to fresh
paper.
It is true that recycling also requires energy to process
but it is far lesser than if produced from virgin materials.
Apart from the energy needs, these processes emit toxic
substances which pollute the environment. So by switching towards recycled
products, we are not only saving energies but also protecting our surroundings
from toxic substances.
Recycling also reduces cost of production. Though the
collection of used material will cost you some money but it is a very meager amount
when compared with the cost of the energy and waste disposal which you have to
bear when you are making a new product from virgin materials.
You can recycle various types of material. Plastic, glass,
food scraps, wooden parts, metal parts every thing can be used in recycling
process. If you are creative enough your options are endless.
Composting is a good example of using recycled materials to
its best use. If you are a gardener you can use composting methods and avoid
any chemical fertilizers. You can find more about compost and composting here.
Recycling is a sustainable way of living. Here new products
are being made from the older and used up ones. By opting to use recycled
materials you can create a green consciousness in society. This cyclic way of
living is far better than any linear model.
We all need to do our best to make an impact in protecting
our environment.
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