Recycle and Get Green

disposal bins, catchy three-word slogans, signsSimple Home Green
asking users to separate green glass from clearThat isn't to say that recycling only has a benefit
glass, 'paper or cardboard only' disposalin the realm of production. There are of course
receptacles - these are just a few of the visiblebenefits to private recycling as well. Some
signs of the modern recycling movement.solutions are simple - a milk jug can be cut open
Recycling has been a major issue since humanand turned into a measuring tool for rainwater for
beings first started forming organized societies.the scientifically minded. Rather than discarding old
Renaissance armies would melt down old, wornclothing, some families cut the garments up for
out cannons to reclaim some copper instead ofuse as rags, patching material, or even art
having to dig it out again.supplies. A pair of jeans someone would never
The Great Depression made it difficult to getwear in public often find new life as work trousers
food, let alone new goods, so people buckledfor painting or automotive projects.
down and learned how to reuse. The US andPlastic shopping bags are often thrown away
Britain launched massive recycling and reclamationwithout consideration, but some families stretch
campaigns during World War II to maximizetheir dollar a bit by using them as small-can trash
wartime production. People have always foundbags, such as for waste paper in the bathroom.
ways to save time, effort, and money by findingThis saves the cost of buying new bags, at the
inventive new uses for their personal goods.very least. For those interested in getting even
What’s Old Is New Againmore use out of these bags, they can be used as
The modern story of recycling as animprovised lunch bags, or for transporting food to
environmental movement truly begins in the latea big picnic.
1960s and early 1970s. For the first time, withAnd, if you can’t find a way to reuse
conservation efforts and the consequences ofsomething, there is always the option of taking it
worldwide pollution really being made publicto the appropriate city recycling facility. The key
(facilitated by the explosion of television's ability tois to find creative ways to reuse the materials
reach a worldwide audience), people werealready in the home, instead of just throwing
becoming aware of the ability of major recyclingthem away.
campaigns to positively affect their lives. SpurredSimple Office Green
by events like the infamous Mobro 4000 barge,Similar options exist for the office environment,
which sailed up and down the eastern coast ofof course. In particular, offices generate a lot of
the Americas for nearly a year hauling a full loadpaperwork, and an equal amount of paper waste.
of garbage, people were moved to takeSome small businesses actually take advantage of
widespread, systematic action.this, and instead of throwing out their old
Recycling can have a significant impact in manyshredded paper and scrap, use it as package
obvious, measurable ways. Every aluminum canstuffing. This saves them the cost of purchasing
melted down and reclaimed is one less can thatnew packing material, and keeps the scraps out
has to be stored in a landfill. Landfills aren't simplyof the landfill for a bit longer.
dumping holes that are filled once and ignored, butCardboard shipping boxes can often be reused as
sophisticated facilities that require carefulwell, whether to continue shipping goods or as a
attention, maintenance, and energy to properlylow-cost way to store some short-term
function. For example, inspectors are required todocuments until the new filing system arrives.
periodically ensure that the environmental sealAdditionally, some cities even have buyback
around the underside of landfills doesn't rupture,programs, offering small monetary compensation
potentially spilling pollutants into the localto those who recycle certain products. Businesses
environment through leakage. The less productshould research their local options, as they could
that gets dumped into these landfills, the less apossibly use this as a way to reduce their
modern society has to invest in their upkeep.operating costs over the year. It won't bring in
Recycling By the Numbersmillions, but the wise businessman saves
The benefits go beyond the mere physical,wherever possible.
however. The Energy Information AdministrationThink About It
(EIA) estimates that recycling tin and aluminumIn both house and office environments, the key
cans only requires five percent of the energyto successful recycling is stopping to think. A
needed to make all new cans out of rawgreat deal of the waste generated in the modern
materials. Similarly, the EIA estimates that paperworld can be reused or recycled, but isn't because
recycling reduces the energy cost of paperpeople have a habit of throwing out their soda
manufacture by forty percent compared to allbottle when finished drinking. Finding new ways to
new paper production. Reduced energyrecycle doesn't require expensive programs or
consumption means less pollution from the powerelaborate schemes. All it really requires is for
plant, and less need to harvest the fossil fuelssomeone to stop for one moment when throwing
that are still the world's predominant energysomething away, then asking themselves, 'Is
supply.there something else I could do with this?