Why Reducing and Reusing is Much Better than Recycling

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There are over 600 million tons of recyclables being handled by almost 2 million people worldwide every year (BIR). This is the result of the ever growing concern of waste and CO2 emissions across the globe. Recycling is a controversial topic because many were taught that recycling is the most influential way to reduce environmental impact. However, according to the New York times, “Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America: a waste of time and money, a waste of human and natural resources.” (Tierney). Recycling may actually be a way for people to feel justified about overusing products. This can result in a rapid increase in consumerism . In some cases, recycling can be effective, but studies have shown that more fossil fuels are burned up to recycle plastic than to produce new plastic products. This is also the case for many other materials. There are millions of dollars in net loss each year that are spent on salary for workers and gasoline used to fuel transportation of recyclables. Many people everywhere recycle because they were told it was good, but they were not informed of the negative aspects (Tierney). Although recycling some materials are beneficial by saving energy and waste, other materials, such as plastic and paper, cost more in consumed energy to recycle; Therefore reducing and reusing is a more practical and cost efficient way to reduce waste and energy.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle is something that people worldwide are told in school and also as adults. Recycling, or converting waste into reusable material is used across the globe with the hope of ridding the earth of some of our waste. Reducing, or bringing in a smaller amount, is the most effective way to reduce waste, but because of mod...

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...nnesota Pollution Control Agency. Web. 19 May 2014.
"Reuse vs Recycle." The Greener Way to Recycle Ink Cartridges. Evolve, 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.
Sealey, Geraldine. "Is Recycling Worth the Trouble, Cost?" ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
"The Mayor Rethinks Recycling." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 19 May 2014.
Tierney, John. "Recycling Is Garbage." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 June 1996. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Vasiljevic-Shikaleska, Aneta. "Waste Management And Models For Optimization Towards Sustainable Waste Management Systems." Journal Of Sustainable Development (1857-8519) 5.8-9 (2014): 105-123. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
"Who Is ReDo." Who Is ReDo. The Loading Dock. Web. 19 May 2014.
Zeller, Tom. "Why Recycle?" High-Tech Trash. National Geographic Society, Jan. 2008. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.

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