Almost every industry in the United States, as well as a large number of residential homes, are invested in the notion of recycling. There have been many efforts to reduce costs as well as environmental impact, and recycling has been a key function in doing just that.
However, today there are many myths about recycling that aren’t necessarily true and can lead one to believe recycling is pointless. The full extent of recycling is only achievable through mass adoption, and so every person counts. In an effort to clear the air about some of the misconceptions surrounding recycling, here are three myths officially busted.
Recycling causes pollution
Where or how this rumor started is a modern day mystery, but it’s completely untrue. Recycling actually reduces pollutants in the air as well as in the water. Because creating products from recycled materials uses much less energy than manufacturing products from un-used materials, recycling reduces greenhouse emissions considerably. Recycling also reduces the amount of waste in landfills, which means less material that gets into the eco-systems and harmful toxins that seep into underlying groundwater.
Recycling isn’t necessary for space
Landfills pop up everywhere and there still exists an abundance of space for them to continue to do so. Is that really what you want though? Landfills on every street across the country? Probably not. Just because space is available doesn’t mean it needs to be used. Recycling saves energy consumption and prevents more waste from being added to the landfills.
Everyone Recycles
No, not everyone recycles. In fact, the typical American will dispose of 600 times their adult body weight in garbage over the course of their life, yet the national recycling average is only at 28%. Which means that roughly only 28% of the nation recycles their vast creation of garbage at this point and time. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, set a recycling goal of 35%, and while some places have already reached 50%, the country as a whole is dropping the ball significantly.
So if you aren’t recycling, either for your residential waste removal companies or your commercial trash services, consider making the effort. Every person who does adds to the overall positive impact on the Earth.
For information about recycling in your neighborhood, contact Arrow Waste Inc., a commercial and residential waste removal company.