With the increasing visible effects of environmental degradation, the need to use recyclables has become an integral part of every day’s campaigns aimed at preserving the environment from further degradation.
These like efforts have risen because of the realization by human beings that the world is at the verge of destruction as more and more wastes and gases have continued to accumulate in the environment. Prior to the realization of the significance of using recyclables, most individuals viewed using of recyclables only as mechanism of utilizing well natural resources.
With the increasing depletion of this natural resources and the need to find better ways of preserving the environment, most people nowadays appreciate the need to convert trash into recyclable materials for use. Recycling is primarily the process of converting used materials into some raw material form after which the raw materials are reprocessed into some usable form.
Recyclables play an integral role of saving a country’s environment, energy, natural resources, and foreign spending, which in most cases is in from of imports (Arms 1-7). Therefore, the process of converting trash into recyclables is of great significance to the well being of a nation not only in terms of environmental safety, but also politically and economically.
Environmental degradation is one of the worst threats to the survival of not only future generations, but also present ones, because of the numerous calamities that have faced most global communities over the recent past. Such calamities have resulted from the increasing pollution levels in the environment, which have triggered environmental hazards such as floods and diseases.
When these like calamities strike, the government is usually forced to spend millions of dollars to cater for needs of the affected; funds which can be used in other important development projects.
One thing that most individuals do not recognize is that, although most waste materials, which are either burnt or disposed off to the environment are not biodegradable, such materials can be recycled and be converted into other useful forms. For example, although most plastic materials are recyclable, most individuals have a tendency of burning them instead of reprocessing them.
When burnt, this plastics release harmful gases into the environment, which can cause serious respiratory infections when inhaled. However, through encouraging recycling the government saves millions of dollars, which were previously spent on pollution related hazards (Adams 1).
The process of converting waste into useful materials has also numerous economic advantages. To start with, recycling promotes proper utilization resources. Due to the fact that most non-biodegradable materials can be converted into other useful forms, recycling is one of the primary methodologies of reducing wastage of resources. Therefore, through converting thrash into recyclable items, a government is able to preserve its resources or convert them into different development initiatives.
A second economic significance of converting wastes into recyclable items is the minimization of expenditure on production processes, which require fresh supplies of raw materials. For example, instead of using tress to produce paper, the recycling process has helped the government to reprocess used paper into more usable paper at a cheaper cost, than producing them from fresh trees. This process is cost effective as compared to the former, as it has offered the government an opportunity of recreating value in waste papers.
Reprocessing recyclable materials also has helped societies to cut down costs, which are associated with the disposing process in addition to saving numerous acres of land used as landfills. On the other hand, recycling plants are one of the primary job creators, as these industries have offered numerous Americans job opportunities; hence, boosting their quality of life. Further, just like any other goods, recyclable materials have also a wide market all over the world.
Hence, export proceeds from these goods are one of the primary boosters of the economy, as proceeds from this industry have surpassed returns from most manufacturing and processing industries. For example, recycling of recycled aluminum is one the most profitable industrial goods in the U.S., because of their multiple uses in the car and can manufacturing industries (Douglas County Solid Waste Department 1-2).
In addition to the economic and environmental significance of converting wastes into recyclable items is a sign of patriotism, as it helps nations to avoid overdependence on imported resources.
Currently, as result of the thirty percent recycling rate of the government, the national government preserves more than five billion gallons of oil annually. This has helped the government to cut down the dependence on oil imports by one hundred and fourteen barrels; hence, securing the independence of United States from dependence on foreign energy resources.
Closely related to this is the ethical significance of recycling. As per the World pollution statistics, United States is one of the major world environmental polluters. Although this might be the case, the continuous importance placed by the U.S. government on any environmental conservation effort more so on the significance of converting wastes into recyclable items has built the reputation of the America as a whole politically, as a nation which values the well being of the living species (Cindy 1).
In conclusion, the benefits associated with converting trash into recyclables are of great significance not only to the U.S. government, but also to other global societies. As a result of these, there is need for all global communities to adopt the practice of recycling materials that are recyclable, it being one of the primary methods of saving the environment from further degradation.
Works Cited
Adams, K. Importance of recycling metals. 2010. Web.
Arms, M. What is recycling? 7 benefits of recycling. 2011. Web.
Cindy, J. History of recycling. 2011. Web.
Douglas County Solid Waste Department. Importance of recycling. 2008. Web.