Benefits Of Recycling
- Reduces land pollution, especially when less waste is sent to landfills and incinerators.
- Less waste sent to incineration means we save energy and simultaneously reduce air pollution.
- Less energy is also used when recycled materials are used in manufacturing new products as opposed to sourcing/importing raw materials.
- More job opportunities are created in the relevant job sectors, which is great for the economy in terms of alleviating poverty.
- Contributes to a cleaner, greener and healthier environment overall.
What To Recycle?
Most of us know the basic materials we ought to recycle are glass, plastic and paper. However, there are more materials that should be recycled to ensure and a cleaner, greener, and healthier environment. These materials include batteries, cell phones, cans, building rubble, automotive parts, steel, e-waste, engine oil, eyewear, garden waste, among others.
How To Recycle?
It might seem like an easy and straightforward thing to know how to do but the reality is we still have a distance to go in terms of effectively recycling. So here's some basic tips on how to recycle at home, work or school:
- Separate your waste; recyclable dry materials from wet garage waste.
- Further, separate the recyclable dry materials; plastics from glass etc.
- Research on mywaste.co.za to find out where recyclables are accepted in your community.
- Make recycling easy for everyone by educating them on it and having bins in your workplace, home or school that are labeled with relevant recyclables.
- Find out if there is a recycling company that collects recyclables in your community from schools or business offices.
With the amount of initiative we have to put into recycling, especially in certain communities that are still catching up to make recycling the norm, it may seem like too much admin. However, for the good of the environment, the country, and the globe overall, recycling should be approached with a sense of responsibility as a member of society striving to conserve our planet.
Let's all work together to make recycling second nature!
For more information on recycling, visit the
National Recycling Forum's
website.
