Recycling

Recycling

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is a phrase that became well known in the 1980s when there was a waste-disposal scare. Today, recycling is more of a controversial topic. The idea of recycling seems to make economic sense; it saves resources and decreases the amount of toxic emissions that reach our atmosphere, however, the issue can be very complex. Just as there are many benefits with recycling, there are also new problems that arise, problems such as high costs and low demand.

The virgin paper and pulp industry is one of the world’s largest generators of toxic air pollutants, surface water pollutants, sludge, and solid waste. Some of these pollutants are carcinogenic and most of the air pollutants are classified as volatile organic compounds that participate in photochemical reactions in the atmosphere to produce ozone. The industry is also the largest industrial process water user in the United States, generating 1,551 trillion gallons of wastewater. In 1994 it was recorded that 1,834 facilities produced over 111 million pounds of toxic air emissions, 507 million pounds of waste, tens of thousands of pounds of discharges to surface waters, and 12 million pounds of ozone depleting chemicals. Reducing these discharges worldwide to safe levels would cost an estimated $27 billion. (Hershkowitz, 1998)

On the other hand, the paper recycling mills produce no hazardous air or water pollution or waste. The process uses soapy water to remove ink, glue, staples, and any plastics. The pulp is then spread into a sheet and dried, a very fast process. A ton of recycled paper can save an estimated 17 trees, enough energy to provide power to the average home for six months, keep almost 60 pounds of air pollution effluents out of the air, eliminate 3 cubic yards of landfill material, and saves 7,000 gallons of water. The federal government is working to create markets for recycled goods; being the largest paper buyer in the nation – using 300,000 tons a year –...