Community Action :Recycle!
“When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” John 6;12
This Lent, set up a recycling system at home and encourage your church and office or school to do so. . Below are the reasons why we need to recycle more:
- It’s a global problem
Accumulation of waste is not just a problem for a single nation; it’s a global problem. If waste is allowed to accumulate unabated, humans might run out of locations to bury synthetic waste, or the waste might bring devastating effects to the environment,
- Conserve natural resources
Plants are considered limited resources. If a lot of pressure is exerted on these natural resources, they might be depleted fast. The only way to dramatically stop the pressure applied to these resources is recycling. Statistics according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency show that recycling one ton of paper saves up about 17 trees, and those trees take in carbon emissions.
- Saves energy
Recycling has been proved to save up lots of energy. Companies that utilize recycled aluminum save up to 95% energy during production of aluminum products when compared to companies that source raw materials.
- Minimizes accumulation in landfills
Landfill space for waste disposal can run out if a solution is not found. Cities situated near oceans have been polluting the water for many years due to landfill overflow. The oceans cannot entertain this habit anymore. The only way is recycling. As much as 60-75% of waste occurring in landfills can be recycled.
- Beefs up property value
One of the most effective ways to beef up the value of your property is to embrace recycling. People who take up the practice of recycling reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. It’s a no-brainer that landfills significantly lower property value since nobody likes the idea of living near a smelly landfill.
- Leads to creation of jobs
More recycling plants mean more jobs. Statistically, recycling creates 10 times more employment opportunities than landfill waste management. It can be a way that your church or school can earn some income.
- Accelerates technological advancements
The modern day has seen increased social pressure to embrace more eco-friendly practices. This has forced companies to search for innovative technologies to incorporate recycled materials into their line of products. The new technologies are best for Mother Nature.
- Conserves wildlife
Increased use of recycled products puts a break to the exploitation of natural resources like forests, rivers, lakes and wetlands, which are natural habitats for wildlife.
- Ensures a truly sustainable future
Planet earth has only limited amount of natural resources and restricted capacity to recycle waste. By recycling, we are doing two great things to our future: minimizing our immediate effect on planet earth and developing sustainable practices for future generations.
- Accumulation of waste causes deadly diseases
Poor disposal and accumulation of waste in landfills leads to the emission of toxic and infectious gasses. If these gasses are inhaled over time, they may lead to wide range of respiratory diseases such as asthma. Also, if the toxic liquids draining from landfills find way into water sources, infectious diseases like diarrhea, typhoid, and dysentery could spread.
- Maintains ground water quality
If landfills are allowed to accumulate, they can impact the quality of groundwater. Most landfill management companies do not make any effort to treat their landfills. They only throw the waste in a dug-up hole and bury it Rain water or runoff water coming from landfills snake through land to water bodies such as streams, rivers, and lakes. This destroys the already fragile ecosystems and renders the once fresh and safe waters risky to drink.
- Clean cities and neighborhoods
The plastics end up scattered in city streets and neighborhoods leaving these places looking unsightly. Recycling will ensure these plastics never occur in streets as people will be picking them up to sell to recycling companies.
- Keeps waste collection costs down
The cost of collecting garbage from every neighborhood is relatively expensive. Large trucks have to be deployed to pick up and transport the waste to landfills. Recycling has significantly reduced the cost of collection as most garbage goes to recycling plants.
#lessplasticforlent #beatplasticpollution #greenanglicans
References
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/why_should_we_recycle.php