How Can We Recycle to Save Our Planet?

In recent years, more businesses and municipalities have mandated recycling programs, which has been excellent news and created a positive impact. Unfortunately, the economic downturn has meant that, temporarily, some of the costs of recycling outweigh the returns. In the long term, of course, the opposite is true, but for local governments that need to cut immediate costs, the long term is hard to see. It’s up to individuals to continue to press for recycling programs to guard against spiraling future costs and environmental catastrophe. Furthermore, recycling doesn’t just save money, it saves energy and resources, both of which are in precious sup

There are many reasons to recycle. When we think about ways we can recycle to save our planet, we need to think not just about ourselves and our wallets, but our air and water and the creatures that inhabit both. Some of the biggest environmental disasters are the plastic bags we receive at grocery and drugstores. As little as one percent of them get recycled, although they can be recycled easily

After the second world war, the idea of mass consumerism and a convenience-based economy took hold. As more and more disposable items became available, landfills filled up. Children still earned some extra money by gathering bottles and cans for recycling and schools engaged in paper drives, but the growth of plastic and the throwaway mentality outstripped these conservation methods.