Garbage and Recycling
Does recycling conserve the environment?
Background Information
Pros:
- The paper industry is one of the world's largest generators of toxic air pollution and water pollution, however If recycled there is far less waste.
- Five recycled soft drink bottles will make enough fiberfill for a ski jacket, this reduces natural resources that have to be used to create new fiberfill
- 1,050 recycled milk jugs can be made into a six-foot park bench, this also reduces natural resources wasted
- If 10% of Americans bought products with less plastic packaging 10% of the time, about 144 million pounds of plastic could be saved from being in landfills.
-Opposing Viewpoints Recycled Materials Produce Less Pollution
Cons:
- Producing paperboard burger containers creates more air and water pollution and uses more energy than it does to recycle polystyrene clamshells.
- It takes more water to recycle newsprint than to make it afresh.
- It costs $40 per ton to process recyled goods.
- Americans could put all of the trash generated over the next 1,000 years into a landfill 100 yards high and 35 miles square, there is not that much pollution that society should be worried.
-Opposing Viewpoints Recycling Does Not Conserve the Environment
Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Bandow, Doug. "Recycling Does Not Conserve the Environment." Pollution. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Our Widespread Faith in Recycling Is Misplaced." This Just In. 1997. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
"Get The Facts." Utah Recycles. RCU, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
Hershkowitz, Allen. "Recycled Materials Produce Less Pollution." Pollution. Ed. James Haley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "In Defense of Recycling." Social Research (Spring 1998). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Incinerator. Digital image. Pickeringpoliticss.file.wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Landfill. Digital image. Stlouiscountymn.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Martin, Sam. "Recycling Can Reduce Pollution." The Environment. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Recycle." Mother Earth News (Jan. 2001). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
Plant, Brenda. "Recycling Is Economical." Pollution. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Five Most Dangerous Myths About Recycling. 1996. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Recycling Factory. Digital image. Directindustry.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
"Recycling Glass - How It Helps Environment." WWF. WWF, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
Recycling Sign. Digital image. Thomson.govoffice.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Recycling Sorting. Digital image. Britishcouncil.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.