Something that is trash for one person can bring a job for the other one. Well, recycling is not only about jobs and money, but it brings many other benefits in our lives as well as for the wildlife. The issue we mainly face is that recycling is not mandatory in most parts of the world. There are many reasons why recycling should be mandatory and here we will be discussing some of them.
Is recycling a waste of time?
If you are thinking that recycling is a waste of time, then you are most probably wrong on so many levels. Let’s take an example of extracting raw materials from the surface of the earth and then treating them to make products. With recycling, we already have the products that we need to treat. This saves a lot of resources.
Another example here is decomposition. Everyone knows that plastic takes around 450 weeks to naturally decompose. That of paper is 6 weeks. On the other hand, with proper recycling equipment, it may not take more than a few hours to recycle huge amounts of not only paper but plastic as well.
Why has recycling become an important issue?
Recycling is rapidly becoming an issue because now we have reached the stage where if we do not take action then we have to bear the results. For centuries, humans have not cared about recycling. The problems were not that immense then but now things have gotten worse.
Global warming, climate change, energy consumption, and many other problems have taken the rise because of this negligence. All of this is why recycling has become an important issue.
Why recycling should be mandatory?
There are several reasons why recycling should be mandatory and why recycling is important. While there are many reasons why it is mandatory, there are several benefits of recycling that make it even more important. So, here we will be discussing some of them
1. The raw materials are running out
Recycling has a huge emphasis on saving the raw materials and using the ones that we already are using. Surprisingly, most of the raw materials that we need can be recycled from older products including electronics automobiles, computers, and many other things.
It is time that we spread awareness about how can recycling materials lead to environmental sustainability. Making recycling mandatory will also result in reduced raw material costs and power consumption.
2. Recycling ensures that there are no landfills
In the United States alone over 1800000 acres of land are used by landfills. This welcomes pollution and many other issues along with the decreased value of the land. Landfills take a lot of real estate, and they release harmful chemicals into the air, land, and water.
Recycling ensures that there are no landfills because all the usable materials can be recycled and reused. At the same time, all the useless things can be decomposed to ensure that there is no landfill on a small or large scale.
3. Recycling plays an important role in pollution reduction
This is the point that most people are aware of. A common practice in a lot of parts of the world is to collect trash and then burn it. While it physically removes the trash, it is the reason for problems like air pollution, carbon emissions, and such problems.
With recycling, we take out the trash that is a major source of methane gas which is a greenhouse gas. With recycling, this 30 times more powerful gas than CO2 is taken out which results in a better climate and environment.
4. It can save you money
If you take a look at recycling on the domestic level, you will note that it can save you money. There are many different ways how recycling can save you money. Some of them are:
- Using reusable utensils and products like the best reusable ice cubes
- Recycling the water, we use in different ways
- Using the best outdoor recycling bins and trashcans
- Composting and much more
All of these things can be beneficial for your budget in one way or another.
5. Recycling saves power
Making new products from raw materials costs a lot of energy and power. For example, if we take aluminum from the earth and make its products and we take old aluminum products and recycle them, there will be a 95% difference. The same goes for other materials like steel which is 70%.
Considering this saving on a larger scale we can see how different materials and products come with huge savings in power consumption.
6. Recycling can help the economy
Recycling helps the economy in so many ways. First of all, there are job opportunities for people who do not have any jobs. Secondly, if a country lacks some natural raw material, it can import it once and next time most of that will come from recycling the older one. In this way, there will be lesser imports.
These were only a few examples and there are many ways in which recycling can help the economy of individual countries and the whole world as well.
7. The world needs to be aware of green products
Another major reason why recycling should be mandatory is the lack of awareness. Many people do not know how beneficial it is and how they can start it themselves. This is the time when we can spread the maximum awareness about climate change what everyone needs to know, and other important factors related to recycling.
With more awareness about recycling and the usage of green products, the world will start moving towards a better, cleaner, and safer future.
8. Only human’s life is not at risk
When the climate changes, it changes for everyone including animals and plants. However, it is the result of human activities alone. The issues like global warming and an unsustainable environment that we can see in the coming years will put everyone’s life at a risk. This can lead the whole ecosystem of the world to go bad. So, it is necessary right now to make recycling mandatory.
9. Bad water quality needs a solution
From the beginning of our day to the end we use many different cleaning agents, soaps, and shampoos. Most of them are bad for the water quality. The water that flows into major water bodies pollutes them and kills aquatic life.
Similarly, the water that seeps down the surface of the earth causes the under-earth water reservoirs to get polluted. Lastly, when the polluted water evaporates, it causes environmental issues. When we start recycling things and using environmentally friendly products, this huge issue will be solved.
10. Recycling has become a global issue now
The biggest reason why recycling should be mandatory is that it is now an issue for everyone on the planet. It is not about one country or one community but the whole human race and its future. So, we must start solving this global issue as soon as possible.
Home usage products that help in recycling
Whenever you want something good in society, it is always a better choice to start from your home. When we talk about recycling, there are many products that we use in abundance. Switching those with green products can help a lot in recycling. Some of those products are
- Reusable ice cubes
- Pet shampoo
- Carpet cleaning equipment
- Recycling bins
- Rechargeable batteries
- Shopping bags
While some of these things will reduce the usage of water, some will make sure that the dirty water is not bad for water bodies and wildlife. On top of everything, some of these will reduce the need for nee raw materials bringing benefits on many levels.
Recycling Creates Jobs
According to US EPA, recycling creates jobs in many different ways. From the findings in 2020, there were more than 681000 jobs with more than $37.8 billion worth of wages. Not only this but there was $5.5 billion worth of tax revenue. So, apart from the environmental benefits, recycling can be the main cause of a better economy as well as a better lifestyle for many people.
Final words
If you were also thinking about why recycling should be mandatory, then we hope that the reasons above were enough to answer you. If we think about the future and coming generations, we will see how badly we are affecting the environment. So, the ultimate reason for recycling could be a better future for the planet earth and all life on it.
FAQ
1. Is recycling really worth it?
Yes, recycling is worth it in many ways. In the short term, it brings energy savings and resource savings along with more job opportunities. In the long run, it ensures that we have a cleaner planet with a better environment.
2. What would happen if recycling was mandatory?
If recycling was mandatory then we had a much better environment for humans, wildlife, and plants. There would be no global warming and similar issues. Similarly, the earth would be clean from all forms of pollution.
3. Is it time that we take recycling a serious issue?
Considering how drastically things are changing, it is time that we take recycling as a serious matter. It is because, after a few years or decades the earth’s system may not stay the same because of sustainability issues. Recycling is the only thing that can protect from such events happening in the future.
