Recycling is the process in which waste materials gets transformed into new products, lowering emissions, pollution, and saving natural resources. Products that enter recycling plants are saved from incineration plants generating tons of harmful emissions like hydrochloric acid and mercury contributing to air pollution. Landfills contribute to water and land pollution when waste ends up in lakes and waterways in addition to chemicals seeping into the ground.
Paper: By recycling paper, you can help decrease deforestation which destroys about 60,000 square miles each year. If this rate continues for about 63 years, the amount of land deforestation would be the area of the United States. Deforestation causes extinction and loss of bio-diversity in addition to increased global warming because there are fewer amount of plants to remove it from the air.
Plastics: The combustion of plastics in waste treatment plants release Dioxins and Furans into the atmosphere. Dioxins and Furans cause a cancers and developmental issues. example
In addition, by recycling plastics, there is a decreased demand for oil drilling and refining. Oil drilling and refining have severe negative affect on the environment and human health. example
In addition, by recycling plastics, there is a decreased demand for oil drilling and refining. Oil drilling and refining have severe negative affect on the environment and human health. example
Electronics: When electronics do not get recycled and get incinerated they emit heavy metals such as lead,mercury, and cadmium into the atmosphere. These chemicals/elements cause severe neurological disorders, birth defects, cancer, kidney and respiratory damage. Therefore, you should feel guilty if you do not recycle.
Glass: Glass is not Biodegradable and the amount of time it takes for it to degrade. Thus it has not been determined.
The incineration of organic compounds which can be composted can emit hydrochoric acids under certain conditions. CyH(2z+1)Cl + (y+z/2) O2 y CO2 + z H2O + HCl
| Product | Time to Biodegrade |
|---|---|
| Paper towel | 2–4 weeks |
| Apple core | 1–2 months |
| General paper | 1–3 months |
| Cardboard box | 2 months |
| Wax coated milk carton | 3 months |
| Cotton cloth | 5 months |
| Plastic coated milk carton | 5 years |
| Plastic bags | 10–20 years |
| Tin cans | 50–100 years |
| Aluminium cans | 150–200 years |
| Soft plastic (bottle) | 100 years |
| Hard plastic (bottle cap) | 400 years |
| Glass bottles | Undetermined |
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