........................................
Recycling Plastics
Why Recycle Plastics?
By
One good reason to recycle
plastic is that there is just so much of it.
Plastics
are used to manufacture an incredible number of products we use every day, such
as beverage and food containers, trash bags and grocery bags, cups and
utensils, children's toys and diapers, and bottles for everything from
mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid.
And that's not even counting
all the plastic that goes into furniture, appliances, computers, and
automobiles.
The Need Is Growing
As the use of plastics has increased over the years, they have
become a larger part of our nation's municipal solid waste (MSW) — growing from
less than 1 percent in 1960 to more than 13 percent in 2013, according to a
report by the Environmental Protection Agency.
As an
example of how and why plastic waste is increasing, the International Bottled
Water Association reports that the U.S. consumed 9.67 billion gallons
of bottled water in 2012, compared to 9.1 billion gallons the year before.
The United States is the
world's leading consumer of bottled water. A good first step in reducing waste
is switching to a reusable water bottle.
Natural Resources and Energy Conservation
Recycling plastics reduces the amount of energy and resources
(such as water, petroleum, natural gas, and coal) needed to create plastic.
According to a 2009 study by
researchers Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley from the Pacific Institute of
California, a pint-sized bottle of water requires about 2,000 times as much
energy to produce as the same amount of tap water.
Recycling Plastics Saves Landfill Space
Recycling plastic products also keeps them out of landfills and
allows the plastics to be reused in manufacturing new products.
Recycling 1 ton of plastic
saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
And let's face it, a lot of
plastic ends up directly in the environment, breaking down into tiny
pieces, polluting our soil and water, and contributing to the ocean’s Great
Garbage Paches.
It's Relatively Easy
Recycling plastics has never been easier.
Today, 80 percent of
Americans have easy access to a plastics recycling program, whether they
participate in a municipal curbside program or live near a drop-off site.
A universal numbering system for
plastic types makes it even easier.
According
to the American Plastics Council, more than 1,800 U.S. businesses handle or
reclaim postconsumer plastics.
In addition, many grocery
stores now serve as recycling collection sites for plastic bags and
plastic wrap.
Room for Improvement
Overall, the level of plastics recycling is still relatively
low. In 2012, only 6.7 percent of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream
were recycled, according to the EPA.
Alternatives to Plastic
While recycling is important, one of the best ways to reduce the
amount of plastic in our nation's MSW is to find alternatives.
For example, reusablen
grocery bags have seen a growth in popularity in recent years, and they
are a great way to limit the amount of plastic that needs to be generated in
the first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment