The Benefits of Recycling - Research Paper Example

Recycling This paper highlights a general effort to quantify the benefits of recycling in relation to environmental protection, sustainable development and on the improvement of social consequences. For decades, there have been efforts to minimize the adverse impacts of pollutants on the human health and the environment. Important progress on the recovery and recycling of the waste products has been of significance to the bio-system and on human development. Such development meets the needs of present generation without compromising the ability of the future one. This work focus on the phases, and the positive values related to recycling. An understanding of the term recycling is essential, as it is the base of our argument (Goldsmith, 2010). Introduction Recycling refers to the conversion of waste products into new materials. It is the separation, collection and subsequent transformation or manufacturing of waste products into usable products. The transformed usable products are of market value. The materials are converted into, either a secondary product or the same product. The recycled material replaces the virgin material during the usage or manufacturing process. Recycling is essential to industries and society in meeting their goals of efficient management of the limited resources, the cost reduction, and reduced landfill utilization (Donald, 2001). Therefore, recycling is the process of converting wastes or useless products into useful products for humans. The process will help reduce consumption of raw materials, reduce energy consumption, and reduce greenhouse gas emission of global warming pollution (Isayev & Khait, 2005). Stages of recycling process The process is a cycle made up of three main stages. Collecting and sorting is the first stage. Here, there is the collection, then processing and sorting of waste materials to the type for the use. The second stage is the manufacturing stage. At this stage, the collected and the sorted materials pass through manufacturing. Lastly, we have the selling or providing the recycled products to the consumers. The purchase of the materials ends the cycle (Bertolini, Delalande & Hubesch, 2009). Advantages of Recycling Recycling is important in environmental protection. It helps in waste reduction and reusing of materials. The process reduces the need for extraction, refining, and the need for processing the raw materials that causes a substantial water and air pollution. An importance of such processes helps to reduce the level of pollution from the waste. For instance, it prevents the greenhouse gasses and the harmful chemicals released from rubbish in the landfill sites. More important, recycling reduces the need for deforestation, which leads to the destruction of the habitat and leads to the global warming. It also ensures that the rain forests can end up being preserved (Isayev & Khait, 2005). A good example of such processes is the usage of wood in papermaking. Cutting down of trees in the production of pulp, henceforth, paper production is a threat to our ecosystem. The demand for cardboard and paper is a threat to the ancient wood. By recycling of used paper or products from wood, the numbers of trees cut will reduce substantially based on their demand for the productions. In harmony, the virgin materials need refinement and processing to create products. The manufacturing process requires a vast amount of energy. It further uses polluting chemicals causing the destruction of the natural habitat. Preserving trees is necessary for their esthetic value and in ensuring environmental sustainability (Green, 2006). Therefore, recycling is significant in saving raw materials. It conserves the materials. It reduces the need for raw materials from forests, oil, and metals and, therefore, reduces the impact on the environment. Moreover, it contributes to the lack of a reduction in the consumption of precious resources. An extraction of virgin materials is a fundamental cause of the global habitat loss. The pure materials need refinement and processing to create products (Bertolini, Delalande & Hubesch, 2009). Recycling reduces the impact on climate change. The greenhouse gasses from factories during the combustion of virgin materials impacts negatively on climate change. For instance, the combustion of the virgin products uses fossil fuels in the production sector and the transportation of such materials, thereby, emitting harmful gasses that cause pollution. The level of carbon dioxide produced by the combustion processes is also high enough. The energy that recycled materials uses reduces the level of greenhouse emissions, compared to the virgin materials. For example, recycling waste paper saves three times of energy as burning it in the production of energy (Green, 2006). When comparing the landfills, inclination, and recycling, we find that recycling has a considerable economic value. The waste materials often fill up and forms landfills. Such waste materials are of non-biodegradable materials that take a longer time to decompose. Through recycling, we can reduce the costs associated with such disposals. Therefore, recycling is cost-effective and reduces waste from potential fines or landfill tax (Różewicz, Plebanek, Howard & Czerniawski, 2001). Another economic importance is in the generation of cash and the creation of jobs. The recyclables materials are collected, separated, and then goes through processes resulting into useful products. The materials then go to the market and helps in the generation of income. On the same account, recycling provides a means by which one can save money. One can sell the recyclable materials to organizations that buy such from the public. In the process, a person ends up generating some money. In accord, the products from recycled materials are affordable as compared to those from the virgin materials. At home, one can recycle the biodegradables materials like fruit peelings, vegetable, and eggshells and improvising the same as fertilizer (Trasar-Cepeda, 2012). On the side of job creation, the process is important mostly in the manufacturing sector. The industry employs a good number of people. For example, in the companies, that recycles paper, or cardboard products use people in the collection, sorting, and the process of manufacturing itself (Scherer, 2010). Conclusion Population growth and increased wealth across nations contribute to waste increase. People buy more products and, therefore, creates more waste in the process. With the new lifestyle identified with consumption of parked food, there is an increasing threat of pollution on our ecosystem. At different dimensions, the pollutants will affect our lives negatively. If we do not check the trend and tackle the problem by advocating safe recycling of products, we are likely to face severe implications. Therefore, recycling is the best way to develop a positive impact in the world (Metz, 2002). References Green, J. (2006). Recycling. North Mankato, MN: Stargazer Books. Trasar-Cepeda, C. (2012). Soil enzymology in the recycling of organic wastes and environmental restoration. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory., United States., Bernard, S. M., Habash, D. Z., & Earth Sciences Division. (2009). The importance of cytosolic glutamine synthetase in nitrogen assimilation and recycling. Berkeley, Calif: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Bertolini, G., Delalande, C., & Hubesch, N. (2009). Recycling. Wellington, N.Z: Gecko Press. Scherer, L. S. (2010). Recycling. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. Drane, M., Miles, B. F., Drane, P., Farrow, N., World Wide Entertainment (Firm), & Film Ideas (Firm). (2008). Recycling. Wheeling, Il: Film Ideas. De, S. K., Isayev, A. I., & Khait, K. (2005). Rubber recycling. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis/CRC Press. Goldsmith, M. (2010). Recycling. New York: Crabtree Pub. Co. Różewicz, T., Plebanek, B., Howard, T., & Czerniawski, A. (2001). Recycling. Todmorden, Lanc: Arc Publications. Donald, R. L. (2001). Recycling. New York: Childrens Press. Metz, M. (2002). Recycling. Alexandria, N.S.W: Watts Pub. Australia and New Zealand. International Conference on the Science and Engineering of Recycling for Environmental Protection, Wainwright, P. J., Goumans, J. J. J. M., & Woolley, G. R. (2000). Waste materials in construction: WASCON 2000 : proceedings of the International Conference on the Science and Engineering of Recycling for Environmental Protection, Harrogate, England, 31 May, 1-2 June 2000. Amsterdam: Pergamon. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More