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What is it?
What is it?
Recycling is the process of converting waste into new materials or objects. There are a whole range of substances that can be recycled. Here are a few common recyclable materials:
Plastic
Paper
Metal
Glass
E-Waste (computers, batteries, lightbulbs)
The Process
The Process
At the most basic level, recyclable items are collected in various ways like curbside pick-up, drop-off centers or deposit programs.
Next, the items are washed, sorted and processed into raw materials. These raw materials are then sold at market value with prices fluctuating in relation to supply and demand.
Recycling Through Time
Recycling Through Time
At its simplest form, recycling has been around for centuries. For instance, in times when materials were scarce, such as the colonial era, many materials were reused. During this time, metal was an especially scarce resource therefore there were lots of scrap-metal yards and other collection sites.
In the 19th century, there were individuals referred to as ragman. Their responsibility was to go from house to house and collect rags to be made into paper.
To dive further into history, the Great Depression was a time of great reuse. Resources were scarce, therefore items like flour sacks were used as clothing fabric and the public was even encouraged to collect cooking waste.
The shift that happened in the 1960s and 70s in the realm of recycling was a narrative that moved away from the need of reuse to what can be done with all of the waste.
"Keep America Beautiful" was a coalition formed by public and private entities to promote cleanliness and environmental ethic. To facilitate recycling, they created pick-up programs, mainly starting in New England and the Pacific Northwest.
The Facts
The Facts
Here are some recycling facts courtesy of Penn Waste
For each ton of plastic recycled we save the equivalent of…
The energy used by 2 people in 1 year
The amount of water used by 1 person over two months
2,000 pounds of oil
Every pound of steel recycled saves 5,450 BTU’s of energy…
Enough to light a 60-watt bulb for over 26 hours
Recycling just one can saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, and a TV for 2 hours
Recycling one ton of paper would…
Save enough energy to power the average American home for 6 months
Save 7,000 gallons of water
Save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one metric ton of carbon equivalent (MTCE)
Save 17 mature trees
Save 2 barrels of oil
Save 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity
Produce enough energy to power the average American home for 5 months
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