Recycling Should Be Mandatory - Case Study Example

 Abstract Recycling is a recognized way to save resources and protect environment. In some countries and in many states of the USA there are laws, which make recycling mandatory. The given paper will prove that mandatory measures are really effective and help make people understand the importance of recycling. Introduction Recycling is a process, which implies the secondary use of the waste. The given process consists of the following stages: collecting, transporting, sorting, storing and processing of resources. The resources can be different: used machine oil, tyres, accumulators, board, scourage polluted with pesticides, cut grass and trees, solvents, containers. Recycling is economically and ecologically important. Disposal tips will be less filled, if the given approach is applied. For example, some experts estimate the space filled with the garden waste and cut grass as 20% out of the whole waste tip area. In some regions this showing reaches 50%. The environmental protection agency assumes that a half of the waste tip will be eliminated. Thus, in some regions recycling mandates and the laws, which forbid the importation of garden waste to waste tips, are issued. In many countries there are laws, which regulate the waste sorting and recycling. The given paper will prove that mandatory recycling really helps people realize the importance to contribute to environmental protection. The importance of recycling The recycling is very important for the number of reasons: a) the resources of many materials on the Earth are limited and can’t be renewed in the terms compared to the time of the existence of the human civilization; b) secondly, when the materials appear in the environment they usually turn into pollutants; c) thirdly, waste and warn-out goods represent less expensive resource of many substances and materials than natural resources. Many people are familiar with the expression: the rich is rich, because they prefer not to spend, but to save. Maybe, it is not far from the truth. Many experts emphasize the benefits of recycling: “Recycling is well-known for its environmental benefits, which include resource conservation, energy conservation and reductions in water and air pollution, including reductions in greenhouse gas generation, however, it also has significant economic benefits, many of which are often overlooked. Recycling is an important segment of the national and state economy, creates jobs and saves money for generators of waste” (The Economic Benefits of Recycling – WasteWise Case Studies from the Private and Public Sectors ) For today, the amount of many minerals on the planet is limited and they can’t be renewed due to the lack of the corresponding technologies. At the same time recycling is more beneficial that primary processing. In order to implement recycling all the waste should be sorted out. Thus, it is necessary to provide the conditions, which can stimulate people to sort the waste. The use of the secondary materials as the new resource base is one of the most dynamically developing trends of the recycling in the world. For many countries such approach is new. However, the interest towards receiving cheap resources by means of recycling is evident. People just need certain stimulation, which would help them treat recycling seriously. Mandatory recycling can serve as such stimulation. Recycling should be mandatory There are many kinds of waste, which can be recycled. There is corresponding .recycling for each type of materials. The main kinds of secondary materials are: a) waste paper; b) glass; c) scrap metal; d) chemicals; e) oil products; f) electronics; g) plastic; h) rubber; i) biological; j) wood; k) building refuse. In those countries, where much attention is paid to the environmental protection, the volume of recycling is constantly increasing. The law obliges individuals and businesses to throw out waste (packing, boltless, glasses) to the special containers for recycling. In some countries recycling can become a good source of income for those, who would decide to deal with it and make our planet cleaner. The mandatory recycling would help people initiate recycling activity as voluntary activity does not bring the desirable results: “In recycling dilemmas, the preferred social marketing strategy has long been attitudinal. Until a few years ago, most recycling programs in Europe and elsewhere were voluntary in nature” (Smeesters et al., 2003, p. 452). However, last years many changes were made and it is essential to mention that these changes were necessary: “due to the increasing strain of available waste processing capacity, governments are increasingly switching to structural strategies, by setting up mandatory programs. Local governments mandate the use of particular waste recipients for separated waste fractions, the prices of which are set to cover the processing or dumping costs for each fraction. Compliance is monitored, and infractions are fined or prosecuted. Mandatory programs make minimal assumptions about personal motivation” (Smeesters et al., 2003, p.453). There are two approaches to mandatory recycling every country may choose to apply. The first is the economic disincentives. Such approach implies additional charge imposed by the collectors on those, who do not sort the waste before throwing it out. After paying extra, next time a person will pay more attention to sorting. The second approach is bans. For example, if a person or a business did not sort the garbage, the container will remain full until they sort it or pay a collector for sorting. According to Gertman, “many recycling programs do not currently collect recyclable materials that are too contaminated with garbage, but these cities do not take any actions to see that the situation is reversed. The mandate can be on the actions of the generator, who is discarding an unwanted material, or on the collector, or on both. The City of Morgan Hill has banned residents from placing cardboard and plant trimmings in garbage containers; and San-Francisco requires residents and businesses to separate their refuse into recyclables, compostables and garbage and place each material in the appropriate container only”(Gertman, 2001, p.47). The positive experience of the USA The positive consequences of recognizing recycling officially can be seen on the example of the United States, where the government of many states issued special requirements. Some people criticize mandatory recycling programs “mandatory recycling programs, in which people are directly or indirectly compelled to do what they know is not sensible, routinely make society worse off. Such programs force people to squander valuable resources in a quixotic quest to save what they would sensibly discard. On balance mandatory recycling programs lower our wealth” (Shaw, 2003, p. 25). However, it may be mandatory programs in particular, which helped achieve positive results. At the same time there are experts, who want to draw our attention not to the “bad” mandatory measures, but to the real facts. Dension and Ruston (1996) state: “We now know that well-designed and publicized curbside collection programs in typical American suburban communities routinely achieve participation rates of 80% and higher. Skeptics also said that markets for recovered materials would not absorb all the new materials being collected. But since 1985, consumption of recovered metals, glass, plastic and paper by American manufacturers has grown steadily, even as commodity prices for virgin and recycled materials naturally fluctuate” (Dension and Ruston 1996). On the 5th of November the Recycling Day is celebrated in the USA. This annual event became the part of the calendar in 1997 on the initiation of National Recycling Coalition. The necessary of recycling has never been as relevant as today. The amount of the world population reached 7 milliards and the United States is responsible for the consumption of the disproportionally large share of resources. According to the data provided by The Economist, “Since 1960 the amount of municipal waste being collected in America has nearly tripled, reaching 245m tonnes in 2005. According to European Union statistics, the amount of municipal waste produced in western Europe increased by 23% between 1995 and 2003, to reach 577kg per person. (So much for the plan to reduce waste per person to 300kg by 2000.) As the volume of waste has increased, so have recycling efforts. In 1980 America recycled only 9.6% of its municipal rubbish; today the rate stands at 32%. A similar trend can be seen in Europe, where some countries, such as Austria and the Netherlands, now recycle 60% or more of their municipal waste. Britain's recycling rate, at 27%, is low, but it is improving fast, having nearly doubled in the past three years” (The Truth about Recycling). In many countries of the world recycling is implemented only under the strict necessity. In other states creative people invent different useful methods of recycling. In the United States the recycling activity is considered to be a very advantageous business. According to The Economist “Although all recycling facilities still employ people, investment is increasing in optical sorting technologies that can separate different types of paper and plastic. Development of the first near-infra-red-based waste-sorting systems began in the early 1990s” (The Truth about Recycling). Due to the recycling stimulation programs, by 2020 the recycling in the country can exceed 20 million tons annually. The specially created national recycling management agency occupies leading positions in the world in terms of the research and investments in the given field. The results of the investigations held by the American scientists prove the unlimited opportunities of recycling. Thus, two American companies Terrabon and HarvestPower introduce high technologies on the recycling of organic substances into energy and received methane apply in the process of use of such biofuel. Due to the partners in LindeGroup, the plant, which recycles the waste into the liquefied gas, was built in the United States. This gas is used as fuel for vehicles. Today the plant produces 13 cubic meters of liquefied gas a day. Americans have already understood that recycling allows to keep ecological balance. Thus, they treat such activities very seriously. By sorting the waste before throwing it out, every American feels his personal contribution into the process of recycling. The companies, which deal the waste recycling, receive additional resource of energy and take part in the development of the state economy. The largest American companies invest big money into the recycling projects realizing the importance of such ecological and energetic projects. Thus, due to the support of the one of the American companies PepsiCo more than 1000 recycling plants were built on the territory of the US. Conclusion If the recycling should be mandatory or not is still a controversial issue, as there are many people, who do not like mandatory measures “Recycling has always been an integral part of dealing with waste products in the United States, as in much of the world. But until recently, decisions about whether to recycle or not were generally left to individuals and firms” (Shaw, 2010, p.1). However, mandatory measures are very often necessary as the practice shows. Recycling should be mandatory. Every person should realize his responsibility for the ecology on the planet. Americans demonstrated a perfect example and it should be followed. American citizens want every person to realize the necessity of sorting waste and throwing it in special places. Then the waste will be recycled by the processionals. In order to prevent ecological catastrophe, every person should take all the possible measures. Not all the countries, even the most developed can be proud of the introduced recycling technologies. However, the waste utilization activities can turn into the unique resource of income, where the money will be made of garbage. The main task is to turn the attention of the state and business structures to the experience of the developed countries in the field of recycling and utilization of waste. References Smeesters et al. (2003).Consumer Motivation to Recycle When Recycling is Mandatory: Two Exploratory Studies. Tijdschrift voor Economie en Management. Vol. XLVIII, 3 Gertman, R. (2001). What does mandatory recycling really mean? Our author shows how compulsory diversion efforts differ among communities. Resource recycling The Economic Benefits of Recycling – WasteWise Case Studies from the Private and Public Sector. (2013). New Jersey WasteWise Business Network – Shaw J.(2003). Eight Great Myths of Recycling. Perc Shaw J.(2010).Recycling Myths Revisited.Perc  "The truth about recycling". (2007). The Economist. Dension,R A., Ruston, J. (1996). "Anti-Recycling Myths". Environmental Defense Fund. Read More