The Recycling Controversy

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Recommended: Why recycling should be encouraged

Are policies that force recycling necessary to reduce the effects of the global warming despite the high cost of recycling in comparison to the other methods of waste management? Recycling is a controversy that has become known due to the recent pressure caused by scientific evidence of global warming. At this point recycling is mainly seen as a positive because it has proven to improve our ecological footprint. However there is a negative to recycling, which has been mapped out and described in various articles: this has been viewed as the ‘myth’ of recycling. In this controversy there are two extremes; one feels policies are not necessary for recycling, the other feels policies are necessary to recycle. The gray area in the middle of these extremes shows a mixture of each of the extremist’s ideologies. This controversy pertains to the policies and ideologies that were implemented to increase recycling efforts, and that became an issue when money was consistently being spent to recycle during the recent recession. These policies were implemented from the ideologies of two major positions each supporting whether it is necessary or unnecessary to recycle in regards to global warming and cost.

The United States as a whole have already implemented policies in several states to encourage recycling within businesses and households, which can affect the overall economic state of the economy in regards to money flow and market flow. Various recycling policies will allow us to see what federal law may enforce. For example, in California, various recycling policies have been implemented, one in which the consumer pays more for a product to fund that product’s recycling. You could call it a recycling tax. In 1989 the “Recycled Newsprint ...

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...azine.com/2009/jul-aug/06-when-recycling-is-bad-for-the-environment>.

4. "Eco-Cycle’s Ten Reasons to Recycle." Eco-cycle.org. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. .

5. Havel, Lianna. "D.C. to Enforce Recycling Laws." The GW Hatchet. The GW Hatchet, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .

6. Tierney, John. "Recycling Is Garbage - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 30 June 1996. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .

7. "Why Everyone Should Recycle." Welcome to the Professor' S House. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .

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