Benefits of Recycling
- Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
- Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
- Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
- Recycling saves energy.
- Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
- Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
- Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.
Problems and Challenges of Recycling
Lack of technology - The plastic industry is busily exploring new development for recycling plastic. Nearly 9.4 percent by weight (19.8 million tons per year) of the nations
"trash can" is plastic. Plastics are lightweight, sturdy, and convenient. Progress is slow but steady on recycling these petroleum-based items.
So Many Different Kinds of Plastic - Plastic comes in many formulations. This gives plastic packaging many different attributes. Some plastics are gas permeable, some are
translucent, some are clear, some are strong enough to have handles molded in the container; this variety is an asset but it complicates recycling efforts.
Contamination - When items are collected for recycling they are "commodities" not "trash." Materials need to be clean. Communities have different collection
methods; some require everything to be separated (glass in one bin, steel cans in another, paper in a third); other program have mixed stream recycling (every thing is placed in the bin, then separated at the recycling processing center.)
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