Businesses and societies worldwide move toward developing sustainable practices to address climate change, pollution, and local environmental problems. Motivation and urgency to take action might be explained by severe health and economic outcomes, expanding human population, and the negative impact of waste on flora and fauna (Woods 40). One of the most beneficial approaches to saving the planet and integrating conscious use of goods as a necessity for humanity’s thriving is recycling. The process allows to use same materials multiple times after slight modifications and is an opportunity to decrease production needs and waste volumes (Huang et al. 113). This paper aims to argue why recycling is essential for addressing environmental issues and helping save the Earth for future generations.
Recycling is vital in current conditions because the human population’s needs increase while natural resources to address them are limited. Indeed, statistical prognoses assess that by the end of 2022, there will be more than eight billion people on Earth; without conscious care for the planet, overconsumption would destroy the environment (van Ewijk et al. 182). Today, sources such as plastic and polyester reduce the use of natural sources and the cost of basic goods; however, their decomposition takes centuries, causing massive waste of land for storage and water pollution (Huysveld 4). For instance, plastic bottle remelting machines cost less than landfills maintenance, and recycled plastic is still convenient for various needs, such as packaging (van Ewijk et al. 184). Recycling is the appropriate strategy to make the artificial materials serve for a longer period and more people.
Recycling is essential for a sustainable environment because processing virgin materials cause greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and overconsumption of natural sources. More manufacturers occur with the increasing demand for new goods, enforcing these challenges’ severity. For example, the textile industry generates more than 16 tonnes of waste annually in Europe only, and only a quarter of it is recycled (Leal Filho et al. 12). Apparel production inevitably expands with the human population, using hundreds of billions of tonnes of water and resulting in an enormous volume of greenhouse gas emissions (Leal Filho et al. 12). Conscious attempts to reuse clothes and recycle the materials are necessary to address the textile overconsumption and production demands.
Aside from growing population and production, species extinction is a significant threat to the thriving future of Earth because it disrupts food chains and the balance necessary to avoid climate catastrophes. Animals die from conditions developed due to massive volumes of plastic in the oceans, ground pollution of landfills, and hazardous materials emissions by manufacturing facilities (Issifu and Sumaila 45). Recycling is a valuable contribution to addressing species extinction because it impacts the need for production and makes goods be reused rather than wasted. Indeed, utilizing paper, textile, metal, and plastic will not harm animals and may be arranged conveniently for humans; however, taking wood, cotton, and other limited natural sources has drastic consequences. Conclusion
Recycling is vital for the future of Earth because it allows humanity to address the consequences of rapid population growth and expanding use of natural recourses. Overproduction of plastic and polyester harms the planet because they decompose slowly, causing land waste and water and air pollution. Processing virgin materials results in greenhouse gas emissions, overuse of limited natural resources, and consequent environmental issues; recycling allows for managing the manufacturing volume. Species extinction is a serious environmental issue that worsens as waste fills lands and oceans, harming animals and eliminating their food sources. Recycling allows humanity to benefit from the produced goods for longer and protect nature from the severe consequences of expanding landfills.
Works Cited
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Issifu, Ibrahim, and U. Rashid Sumaila. “A review of the production, recycling and management of marine plastic pollution.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, vol. 8, no. 11, 2020, p. 945.
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