Mr. Yanez
13 December 2011
1st Period
Material Use and Waste
In 2008, the average American generated 4.5 lbs of municipal solid waste (MSW) each
day, with only 1.1 lbs recovered for recycling. For comparison, MSW generation rates (in lbs/
person/ day) are 2.42 in Canada, 3.5 in Germany, and 3.44 in the UK (Center for Sustainable
Systems, University of Michigan). This means the average American has more solid waste than
anyone in the world. This is a problem because as we use and generate solid waste, we do not get
rid of the waste in a proficient and environmentally clean way. We do not take the time to
recycle the reusable papers and plastics but instead just throw them away with all of the nonreusable waste.(Q. 1)
A very simple solution to this problem is to recycle all the reusable items in our garbage
and to take the time to separate the reusable waste from the waste that is just garbage. By doing
this easy task we can cut down on material waste and help protect the environment. (Q. 2)
Positive effects of recycling are that it saves energy and reduces pollution. For an example, by
recycling paper we can save trees and prevent the destruction of forests and the more trees we
have the more oxygen there is available to us. Glass recycling turns used waste glass into new
usable products and helps saving the raw materials that go into making glass. Also, by recycling
used materials it reduces energy in manufacturing processes such as refining and mining. They
use less energy from making new products from recycled material because they do not have to
process the new materials from scratch.
There are also negative effects of recycling as well. Plastic is very helpful for an
everyday use but is also hard to recycle because there are several kinds of plastic and it has to be
sorted systematically. Also, recycling paper can be dangerous because you have to use harsh
chemicals such as bleach that can cause harmful effects on exposure. Recycling takes time to sort
and dump the items and someone usually has to be paid for the time it takes to sort the items.
Overall recycling can be expensive and very time consuming.(Q. 3)
The impact of my solution will be helping the environment and helping with material
waste. By recycling, there will be more reusable objects to be made into a recycled product and
helping reduce landfills. Also, it will help by not destroying the land and there will be more land
for where we can grow. A big impact is that it will help save the planet’s resources that are
limited and will not be available forever. Recycling saves energy, natural resources, area for
waste disposal, environmental conditions, and reduces pollution (Q. 5). Activists and Scientists
have proven that making new products out of recycled materials will mean less manufacturing.
(Q. 4)
A step I can take now and in the future is to recycle and reduce my solid waste as much
as I can. All it takes is an easy step of separating your solid waste from the reusable items and
the things that are just trash. Recycling will help me do my part in keeping the environment clean
and trying to get rid of most of my waste in a proficient and clean way. Also, in the future, I can
recycle more and tell family and friends to just take a little bit of their time to separate their
garbage and recycle. Doing this will help with the solid waste problem and clean up the
environment as well. Recycling is one of the easiest methods of trying to help protect our
environment and reduce the amount of material use and municipal solid waste we use on a daily
basis.(Q. 6)
Works Cited
"US Environmental Footprint." Center for Sustainable Systems. University of Michigan,
Sept. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.