Many of us take care of nature through activities to create environmental awareness and work towards a sustainable future. In the United States, one of these activities is November 15: the Day of Recycling. Our team adheres to this initiative and we invite you to participate.
We all generate garbage and waste daily. One of the main problems is that around 99% of what we generate ends up in garbage containers or, often, ends up in the street and even in rivers and seas. In the United States, each person generates an average of more than two kilos of garbage per day. So, as adults, we should be aware that we are primarily responsible for the waste we generate.
So that you do not stay with your arms crossed, in this post we give you some advice, information and suggestions so that you can also contribute to the protection of the environment.
What is recycling?
Recycling is the process by which a used product, or a waste, is subjected to waste treatments that give the product or waste a new life cycle. That is, the raw material (paper, glass or other materials) or the components that were used to make a product can be used again.
What can be recycled
Nowadays, thanks to technological advances, almost everything can be recycled. But, the most common materials that are recycled are:
- Paper and paperboard
- Glass and metal
- Plastic
It is important that what you set aside for recycling is clean. Be sure to wash the containers and jars of glass, aluminum and plastic so they do not contain anything inside or have something stuck. Paper and cardboard should not have food attached.
Other materials such as polystyrene, batteries, electronic products, furniture, containers of toxic products and clothing could also be recycled, but sometimes municipalities do not have the infrastructure to recycle and / or collect them. Keep in mind that each city and / or municipality has its rules of what you can recycle. Therefore, we suggest you contact the waste department of the area where you live so that they can explain what can be recycled. You can also think of other uses that you can give to the material you want to recycle.
- Benefits of recycling
- Reduce the amount of garbage
- Reduces pollution and the use of raw materials
- Save natural resources
- Create jobs
- It’s good for the earth to receive nutrients
- Help and protect workers who handle waste
- Recycling helps preserve our planet and the lives of future generations for this and many other reasons.
Let’s follow the most important ecological rule
Recycling is important, but we can do more. What are the three Rs? The three R’s (3Rs) are rules to take care of the environment and reduce the negative impact we can have on it. There are three simple steps we can follow: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Reduce. The first R can be carried forward by performing actions that reduce the objects that could become waste. To comply with this R we can buy and consume less and use less resources such as water, energy, gasoline, etc.
Reuse or reuse. It is about reusing a product with the same or a different use. Something that can help to realize this is to buy second hand products in a garage sale, for example. Likewise, we can put on sale or donate products that we do not use. Currently the Internet allows this to be done through websites such as Craigslist.
Recycle. It is about what we have told you in the beginning.
You can be part of the solution
Every year the importance of recycling increases due to the growth of the population and the consumption of products that last less. Therefore, talk to your family and try to encourage the recycling of products that are no longer used or implemented by the 3R in your neighborhood.