An average person throws away 4 pounds of trash every day and makes about 1.5 tons of solid waste a year. Multiply that by 7 billion and you know why we have environmental problems. Just imagine how much waste 7 billion people can generate.Recycling is when used waste and materials are converted into new products, so that it can be used again. This practice ensures that we don’t waste perfectly reusable materials. It lowers the demand for new materials to be produced and thereby lowers our energy consumption. Recycling also keeps our non-usable trash from reaching the landfills where they can add to pollution.

Types of materials that can be recycled

a.  Paper

b.  Plastic

c.  Glass

d.  Metal

e.  Textiles

f.  Batteries

g.  Electronic Equipment

h.  Food

21.5 million tons of food is wasted each year. If we practiced composting that amount of food, it would have the same effect to our environment as removing 2 million cars off the highway.

For every ton of recycled glass, you prevent 315 kilograms of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

Your unwanted clothes might be needed by someone else.  Recycling textiles and fabrics means less land, water and fertilizer is needed to grow Cotton.

Where do you start?

The recycling process starts when you separate the materials can be recycled from your other trash. The materials that are segregated are then collected by the recycling company or a collection program in your community.  Some places have buy-back centers where they buy your recyclables for a price or drop off centers where you can deposit your recyclable trash.

Why do we need to recycle?

Recycling is a way of extending the usefulness of something that has already fulfilled its initial purpose. A new product can be made out of it, and it will be useful again! Every time we recycle, we save our environment a little more. We cut fewer trees, use less water and energy. All products require natural resources to produce and our growing population is straining our planet with our need for more raw materials.