Recycling and New Plastic Products

Recycling reuses waste materials such as glass bottles, Paper, plastic, and aluminum. It has been this way now for years now and more people need to take more action in recycling their waste. It’s been proven that recycling our waste has improved our world to be more cleanly sanitary. There are a lot of ways we can recycle the things we have around the house. For example, glass from a Snapple bottle can be broken down and be put back together to make a new glass bottle.
Throwing away materials is a growing problem in our country and is causing landfills to reach their capacity most are overflowing. Because of this, recycling is now used all over the world. One way that people can help is by sorting their trash into separate categories like glass, paper, and plastics. There are two types of recycling options that are carried out. People do not realize how important recycling is. The disposing of solid waste materials such as glass has steadily increased. This solid waste is being dumped into landfill areas all around the world. The space taken up by these overflowing landfills is now too valuable to be used as a dumping ground. Because landfills are reaching their capacity, many towns, counties, and entire states are looking to recycle as an alternative to landfill disposal. These days there are so many opportunities for young people to help in recycling and it starts with the parents showing them how important recycling really is.
Recycling plastic helps to conserve landfill space and natural resources and to cut down on pollution. Since the number of landfills continues to overflow, keeping plastic out of landfills is important. Plastics do not deteriate in landfills. Therefore, plastic you throw away will be taking up landfill space for hundreds of years from now. Making plastic products from recycled plastic also reduces air and water pollution, and energy used for making plastics from raw materials. Recycled plastic is used to make products such as plastic lumber, toys, containers, carpet, fiber fill for jackets and flowerpots. There are so many products made with recycled plastic. Such uses reduce natural resource consumption and pollution because few materials are required. Also less energy is needed to make recycled plastic. There are different mixtures of resins that make thousands types of plastics, some are ink pens, car parts and plastic bags. Recycling is a six step process. First they have to be cleaned and separated. Colored plastics cannot be mixed with clear plastics, and plastics with different numbers cannot be mixed together. They are then compacted and shipped to the processing facility. Then they are shredded up into pieces and then melted together and are molded back into new plastic products. Plastic containers must be rinsed, lids and rings must be removed and thrown away. Every year more and more plastic products are being recycled. In 1995 Americans recycled only 9.5% of plastics. Today almost 64% of Americans recycle their plastic products which is over a hundred millions tons of plastics a year. More people are getting in to the habit of recycling and we should it doesn’t cost us a thing to take our plastic to a recycling center. We all have to do our part to save the earth. Only we can save our earth and we only have one chance at it. Once we screw it up we can never go back.
With major water drying up in the Southeast, the United States government is predicting that within the next five years over 38 of its states will face water shortages unless we find ways to control water pollution. The sources of water pollution are from waste, population growth, urban growth, increasing temperatures, and drought. Every human who lives on this planet needs to become more aware of our local water resources. Ways to control water pollution should be practices by everyone in order to keep harmful wastes from eventually ending up in sewage treatment plants and landfills. Over $300 billion dollars are estimated by our government for upgrading pipes in the United States to handle a newer and more reliable water supply systems. One way to keep our water fresh and healthy is to not throw our waste into the rivers or oceans when we are done with our food. This not only hurts the water we eventually end up drinking but it also hurts the fish in the oceans as well. Not dumping oil in the oceans is another thing, poor little ducks get stuck and cannot move when there is oil spills and they end up dying. This is very sad and we as people should know not to do this. I was once told that the water we drink is the same water that the dinosaurs drank a long time ago. If animals could keep from polluting our waters why can’t we? This is things that everyone needs to think about if they want enough water for their generations to come.