I am living the life of adventure in the last frontier... okay sometimes I am just living right NEXT to the life of adventure, but I try to mix it up a bit. Towering mountains, crazy abundant wildlife, glaciers, tundra, and the PEOPLE! Everyone has a story worth hearing around here. Why Recycle?
Winter is here (almost) and the as trees have become bare, it reminds me of the cycle of things and how, in the spring, I will rejoice at the rejuvenation of all things green. AS I pack up my recycle box every other week, it gives me that same feeling. The sense that something that is over and gone will go on to become something new and useful again. New life!
Why Recycle?
Winter is here (almost) and the as trees have become bare, it
reminds me of the cycle of things and how, in the spring, I will
rejoice at the rejuvenation of all things green. AS I pack up my
recycle box every other week, it gives me that same feeling. The sense
that something that is over and gone will go on to become something new
and useful again. New life!
We all know that it's a good idea to
recycle… but how good? I have heard people talk abou the energy and
chemicals that go into taking old materials and creating new things out
of them. Should we bother to recycle, or is it an environmental "wash?"
I decided to de a little research on the subject and here is what I
came up with.
Recycling:
- Saves Natural Resources
- Saves Energy
- Saves Clean Air and Water
- Saves Landfill Space
- Saves Money and Creates Jobs
Plastic:
"We use about 32 billion pounds of plastic a year and recycle only about 2% of it. Plastic is made from petroleum, so recycling saves money and conserves a valuable resource." (source: http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/energy/rrr/plastic.html)
Paper:
"Recycling paper saves trees from being cut down, uses 30% - 55% less energy, creates 74% less air pollution." (source: http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/energy/rrr/newspaper.html)
Glass:
"We throw away 28 billion glass bottles and jars every year. But you can recycle them instead using 32% less energy and 20% less air pollution." (Source: http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/energy/rrr/glass.html)
Aluminum:
Recycling aluminum… lets manufacturers make new products with 95% less raw material and 90 less energy." (source: http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/energy/rrr/aluminum.html)
A friend recently reminded me that recycling is one thing that an individual can do to make a big difference… starting at the store by opting to purchase things that are minimally packaged in recyclable materials, reusing what we can, and recycling the rest!
If you are not already doing so, please find a recycling collection area near you that takes paper, plastic, cardboard, aluminum, and glass. Many grocery stores will take paper, and that is a start! Every little bit that YOU can do helps our planet!