Recycling has been garnering more attention and importance in the last couple of decades. Year after year, consumption rates are rising globally and so is our human nature to want new things. Recycling is more than just reducing the amount of waste material sent to dumps and landfills, it is a method of revitalizing these materials to be used in new products. Everyone has somewhat crossed paths with recycling at least once in their lives!
Finding Treasure in Waste
Be it materials like paper, plastic and metal or products that have already fulfilled their purposes, by no means are any of them worthless. These “waste” are actually of value and high quantities of e-waste can lead to extremely hefty price tags due to the presence of precious metals contained within them!
Shouldn’t waste be in demand then? The answer is yes and with good reason. It is projected that up to 75% of waste can be recycled, reused and repurposed. If the world can change the way we think about waste on both a consumer and commercial level, the importance of recycling will truly shine.
Effects of Recycling on Climate Change
Everyone knows recycling will help with managing climate change, but aside from that what other benefits are there? Firstly, landfills will have reduced sizes and their numbers reduced which will decrease the impact of these waste on the environment. A landfill with lesser waste can get the job done more effectively. As recycling becomes more mainstream, the hope is that landfills will be completely phased out.
Secondly, there is a need to put more emphasis and value on recyclables & waste products so that we can be less reliant on natural resources and fossil fuels. Using recyclable materials for new products will lead to a decrease in carbon footprint, saves energy and is more beneficial to the environment. Materials that are already in circulation minimizes the need to process natural resources as well.
Image from Momentum Recycling
A cleaner world and a stronger economy
Changing the way we think about waste is of paramount importance. When we understand how valuable some of the commodities that we throw away are, we will be more inclined to start responsible recycling. Both commercial and individual attitudes towards waste must change to support these changes. By having improved commercial recycling systems in place are paramount to increase and maximize recycling rates across the world.
Consumers also play a fundamental role where they need to kick back against “single-use” policies, for example, plastic bottled water & utensils and also have movements to eradicate disposable packaging from the chain. To combat these, products like utensils made from plant fiber are growing in popularity.
With added pressure from consumers, manufacturers are more inclined to tailor their products towards the growing customer needs, which in this case are more environmentally friendly products that can be reused which reduces the burden on the recycling industry as well. The outcome of this is that processing facilities are able to process more waste that they have currently, with lesser inflow of waste coming into the facilities.
Through joint efforts from both manufacturers and consumers, the status quo is shifting and the priority now is to get rid of our current recycling mentality. Recycling is crucial but it is the all-in-one solution to everything.
Image from ecoandearth
A small step goes a long way
Now, what part do you play in the big scheme of things? Here are some tips for you that will help you start on your recycling journey on an individual level. Firstly, recycle your outdated technology. This includes your old smartphones, laptops etc, which if thrown away, creates a lot of e-waste that is detrimental to the environment.
Secondly, look out for recyclability in products that you purchase. Plastics, paper and metal etc. can all be recycled. Examples of products like these are biodegradable plastic water bottles & reclaimed wood items.
Lastly, if you’re unfamiliar with recycling and want to get into it but you don’t know where to start, attending online recycling courses can be a great stepping stone!
Market For Good as a social enterprise, advocates responsible consumption and products like these are some of our offerings in the wider selection of things so feel free to check us out here!
