In the world today, particularly in the two
most industrialized areas, North America and Europe, recycling is big news.
People are talking about it, practicing it, and discovering new ways to be
sensitive to the environment. Recycling means finding ways to use products a
second time. The motto of the recycling movement is "Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle".
The first step is to reduce garbage. In stores, a shopper has to buy products
in blister packs, boxes and expensive plastic wrappings. A hamburger from a
fast food restaurant comes in lots of packaging: usually paper, a box, and a
bag. All that packaging is wasted resources. People should try to buy things
that are wrapped simply, and to reuse cups and utensils. Another way to reduce
waste is to buy high-quality products. When low quality appliances break, many
customers throw them away and buy new ones - a loss of more resources and more
energy. For example, if a customer buys a high-quality appliance that can be
easily repaired, the manufacturer receives an important message. In the same
way, if a customer chooses a product with less packaging, that customer sends
an important message to the manufacturers. To reduce garbage, the throwaway
must stop.
The second step is to reuse. It is better to buy juices and soft drinks in
returnable bottles. After customers empty the bottles, they return them to the
store. The manufacturers of the drinks collect the bottles, wash them, and then
fill them again. The energy that is necessary to make new bottles is saved. In
some parts of the world, returning bottles for money is a common practice.
In those places, the garbage dumps have relatively little glass and plastic
from throwaway bottles.
The third step is being environmentally sensitive is to recycle. Spent motor
oil can be cleaned and used again. Aluminum cans are expensive to make. It
takes the same amount of energy to make one aluminum can as it does to run a
color TV set for three hours. When people collect and recycle aluminum (for new
cans), they help save one of the world's precious resources.
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