Did you know that April is National Recycling Month? National Recycling Month was created in 1989 by President George Bush. The purpose of National Recycling Month was to reform America’s solid waste management. At the time, the US produced 160 million tons of solid waste each year as available landfill space became increasingly scarce.In the year 2015, Americans are producing more than 200 million tons of garbage each year. Per person, this averages out to over four pounds of trash every day and about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. Over 75% of this waste is recyclable, but only about 30% of it is recycled.
With spring cleaning in full swing and Earth Day right around the corner (April 22nd for those of you who forgot), is there a more perfect time for National Recycling Month? The benefits of recycling solid waste are substantial:
- Recycling waste helps to preserve our limited landfill space.
- Recycling reduces the need to extract resources from their natural environment.
- Recycling prevents the pollution of such removal efforts.
- Recycling saves energy and provides a less expensive alternative to landfills and incineration.
- Communities can use the materials recovered through recycling to generate revenue.
This April, I encourage my readers to be environmentally conscious and take steps, big or small, to adjust your lifestyle to reduce waste.
My goal is to show how simple it is to make a larger difference in your household, your community, and even in the world to reduce waste production and preserve landfill space. I encourage everyone to be mindful of the amount of waste they produce regularly and to seek out ways to be environmentally conscious. Be sure to follow my posts this month and help the world become a better place by doing your part during National Recycling Month and for the rest of the year.
