Why is Recycling Important?

再生资源的重要性

你是否知道当你执行再生资源的时候,这可以大大地改善我们所处的环境?如果你继续读下去的话,你就能知道再生资源对大自然起了极其重要的保护作用。

什么是再生资源

在你明白再生资源的重要性和它与改善环境的关系之前,你应该先搞清楚什么是“再生资源”。再生资源的意思是先收集那些通常称为“废物”的材料,然后再作处理。在处理的过程中,把这些收集到的废物分类,再把它们处理为可以再使用的“材料”,以此来制造新的产品。再生资源也曾经被理解为仅仅是“废物利用”,但是废物利用只是把用过了的东西再用一次而已,而真正的“再生资源”是把一个用过了的产品的主要成分从新作为材料再一次来制造一个新的产品。最常见的再生资源是:塑料、玻璃、纸张、电池、铝制品等等。

再生资源的处理过程

整个再生资源处理包括三个过程:第一,收集“废物”并分拣、清洗,把它们准备好为制造工厂从新使用的材料。第二,把这些从“废物”中处理了的材料在产品制造厂里制成新的产品。第三,也就是最后一步,在商店里把用这些再生资源制成的产品卖给顾客。只有众多的人们来购买用再生资源所制造的产品,再生资源的利用才能 真正成功。当人们意识到家里的“废物”可以成为其他产品的材料,而且有助于环境改善的时候,人们才会乐于购买用再生资源制造的产品。

为什么再生资源是事关紧要的呢?

再生资源的重要性是多方面的。如果你觉得“我为什么要参与再生资源的行列呢?”那这里列举几个重要的理由来告诉你参与再生资源的行列的重要性:

  • 再生资源可以节约能源

当产品使用再生资源来制造的时候,节省了很多的制造能源,如果使用原始材料 来制造则会消耗很多能量。另外一方面要开发原始材料,还要从开发地运到工厂,又都需要消耗很多能量。使用再生资源就可以少开发自然资源了。此外,那些用来清理 由于开发原始材料而造成的废物和清除由于开发原始材料所产生的环保问题所需的能量也可以省了,尤其是对那些不会被生物所分解的垃圾(塑料之类)就会堆满我们的垃圾堆。

  • 再生资源改善环境、减少污染

再生资源减少了生产线上能量的消耗,从而对防治全球性气候改变起到重要的作用;也减少了工业二氧化碳的排放量,因此也减缓了大气的温室效应。 工业中所用的主要矿物燃料包含煤、柴油、汽油等等,而这些燃料在燃烧时会放出诸如甲烷、二氧化硫、二氧化碳等有害气体到大气中。在处理原始材料的时候也会产生有毒物质,从而污染环境。再生资源既然减少了能量的使用,因此也就减少了燃料的使用,这也就是减少在使用燃料时所产生的有害气体对环境的污染。

  • 再生资源节省自然资源

我们知道再生资源是把已经用过了的产品的主要组成成分用来制造新的产品。这就大大地节省了我们的自然资源。比如,当我们把过时的报纸作为再生资源,我们就不需要再开伐树木来造新的纸张产品。这样我们就可以把自然资源留给我们的子孙后代,同时对环境的平衡也起到了良好的作用。

  • 再生资源提供经济利益

与节省能源和节省自然资源一样,因为减少了新产品对原始材料的使用,再生资源也节省了很多开支:从对原生材料的订购、运输、处理到生产,这些费用都节省了。

再生资源的各个过程也都为人们提供了不同职业的就业机会,这也就为社会和国家的经济发展作出了贡献。

  • 再生资源减少垃圾

仔细观察垃圾堆放场地,其中有很多废物都是可以有效地成为再生资源。有些废物是属于不会被生物所分解的那一类垃圾,这些垃圾将会 在世界上存在很多很多年,不会消失。再生资源不仅可以使这些垃圾成为有用的资源,而且也减少了垃圾;否则的话,世界将变成一个大垃圾场。因此,我们必须从我们开始执行再生资源,并让全世界的人一起来执行,这样我们才有救。

再生资源的卓越效果

  • 据说,每一个人每天产生2.14公斤的垃圾。

  • 在美国大约有33.4%的固体垃圾是被回收了的,12.6%是在垃圾焚烧设施里被烧掉,余下的54%是在垃圾填埋场地上处理掉。

  • 回收一个铝罐所得到的能量相当于一个100瓦的灯泡工作20小时,一台电脑工作3小时,或者一台电视工作2小时。这个结果是不是让你惊讶?

  • 大约回收125个铝罐所得到的能量相当与一个家庭一天所需的能量。

  • 回收的铝罐只需要六个礼拜就可以做成新的铝罐再次被使用。

  • 对于玻璃的回收真是惊人,因为始终没有消耗。但是一个玻璃瓶大约需要一百万年才能在垃圾填埋场里被处理掉。

  • 回收一个玻璃瓶所得到的能量可以提供一台电脑工作25分钟。

  • 回收一个玻璃容器,大约可以节省9美加仑的燃料。

  • 生产再生纸比制造新的纸张更少产生污染,这是不是使你感到奇怪?

  • 回收一吨纸相当与节省了185美加仑的汽油。

再生资源对我们所生存的地球来说既减少了污染,又保存了能源,真是有至关重要的作用。希望这篇文章让你看到再生资源的真实优点。

By Paramita GhoshLast Updated: 12/30/2011

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-recycling-important.html

讨论问题

    1. 你觉得在这篇文章里,你对哪些地方感兴趣?

    2. 在你的周围,人们是怎样处置垃圾的?

    3. 人们是否多资源回收有比较好的意识?为什么?

    4. 你回收什么样的资源?在你的周围,人们可以怎样方便地回收资源?

Before knowing the importance and benefits of recycling and its relation to a better environmental condition, it is essential to understand what is recycling. Recycling refers to the process of collecting used materials which are usually considered as 'waste' and reprocessing them. In this process these used materials are sorted and processed to be used as 'raw materials' for the production of new products. It varies from 'reuse' in the sense that while reuse just means using old products repeatedly, recycling means using the core elements of an old product as raw material to manufacture new goods. Some of the most common items that are recycled are plastic, glass, paper, batteries, aluminum, etc.

Process of Recycling

The recycling process involves three stages. In the first stage, the old products are collected and processed, where they are sorted, cleaned and made ready for recycling or manufacturing new products. The second stage involves the manufacturing of new products from the raw material obtained by the processing of the old products. Finally, the process ends with the purchasing of recycled goods by the consumers. The more people step forward to buy recycled products, the better the success of the process can be ensured. Buying recycled products will only increase when every individual will develop an awareness of the difference that can be made by utilizing their old household objects as raw materials to produce new goods and help the environment by recycling. Let's now see why is recycling important.

Saves Energy

When new products are manufactured from the raw material obtained from recycled products, it saves a lot of energy which is consumed for production. When new products are manufactured from 'virgin materials', the amount of energy consumed is much higher. Besides, the energy required to acquire and transport the 'virgin' raw materials from their natural sources is also saved. Add to that the energy which is required to clean and protect the environment from the pollutant waste products, especially those which are non-biodegradable (plastic) and fill up the landfill areas.

Saves Environmental Conditions and Reduces Pollution

Recycling helps in preventing global climate change to a great extent. By minimizing the energy spent on industrial production, it also helps in reducing greenhouse gas emission. Some of the major fossil fuels used in most industries include coal, diesel, gasoline, etc. All these emit harmful gases such as methane, sulfur dioxide, carbon-dioxide to the environment. The processing of fresh raw materials also creates toxic materials which pollute the environment. By reducing the energy used, it also minimizes the amount of fuel usage which in turn reduces the amount of harmful pollutants in the environment.

Saves Natural Resources

We know that recycling involves the processing and usage of core elements of an old product for the production of new products. This helps in saving our natural resources to a great extent. For example, once an old newspaper is recycled we do not need to use the resource of another tree to produce new paper products. This way, proper recycling can help us preserve our natural resources for our future generation and maintain the balance in nature.

Economic Benefits

Similar to energy and natural resources, recycling also helps in saving a lot of expense, required for the production of new products from 'virgin' materials. These expenses include the entire production cycle starting from acquiring the raw materials, transferring them from their place of origin to production places, processing and manufacturing costs. It creates employment opportunities for a lot of people, involved in the various stages of the process. This in turn contributes to the economic development of a state or country.

Saves Space for Waste Disposal

Most of the landfill sites are filled up with a lot of waste products that could have been recycled effectively. Some of these waste materials belong to the non-biodegradable category which takes a long time to decompose. Recycling enables proper usage of these waste products and saves space for landfills. The pace with which landfills are getting filled up, soon we might run short of landfills unless we start following recycling at our own home and spread the word to others.

Interesting Recycling Facts

♦ It is said that every person creates around 4.7 pounds of waste every day.

♦ In the United States about 33.4% solid waste is recycled, 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities and about 54% is disposed of at a landfill site.

♦ Recycling an aluminum can preserves enough energy required to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours or a TV for 2 hours. Isn't it an interesting fact?

♦ About 125 recycled aluminum cans save up enough energy required to supply power to one home for 1 day.

♦ Recycled aluminum cans, are ready for reuse in just six weeks!

♦ An amazing fact about glass is that it never wears out and can be recycled forever. A glass bottle takes approximately 1 million years to decompose in a landfill site.

♦ A recycled glass bottle can save enough energy to run a computer for 25 minutes.

♦ Recycled glass containers can save about 9 gallons of fuel.

♦ Another amazing fact - recycled paper produces less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.

♦ Each ton of recycled mixed paper can conserve energy equivalent to around 185 gallons of gasoline.

Recycling is an important step to undertake for preserving our planet by reducing environmental pollution and conserving energy. Hope this article has given you an insight about its benefits.

By Paramita GhoshLast Updated: 12/30/2011

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-recycling-important.html

Discussion Questions:

    1. What did you find interesting about this article?

    2. What do people generally do with garbage in your area?

    3. Is the idea of recycling on people's minds? Why and why not?

    4. What do you recycle? Or what could people easily recycle in your area?