![]() ![]() In addition to recycling, some areas practice other methods of waste management, including composting, putting the waste into landfills, or burning waste to produce energy. Recycling is more common in some regions of the United States, especially the West Coast and Northeast. Businesses that use recyclables as raw materials and an educated public that values recycled products have also contributed to the growth of recycling. Recycling has grown as more communities, recognizing the environmental benefits, have made collecting recyclables commonplace. In 1960, Americans recycled 6.4 percent of their waste. In 2009, about 61 million tons-or 25 percent of the MSW-was recovered through recycling. Īlthough overall waste generation has increased, recycling has also become more widely practiced. (See chart 1.) Over the last several years, however, municipal solid waste generation has decreased, apparently a result of the recent economic recession in the United States. Collectively, Americans generated about 243 million tons of MSW in 2009. According to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), municipal solid waste generation increased from 2.68 to 4.34 pounds per person per day between 19. Municipal solid waste (MSW) includes items that are normally thrown in the trash, such as food packaging or scraps, old furniture, tires, or yard clippings. Recycling has become an increasingly important issue in the United States as both the population and the amount of waste each person generates continue to increase. Specialized electronics, such as laptops or cell phones, are also recyclable but require special handling because of the potentially dangerous chemicals contained in their batteries. Disposing of these recyclable materials is relatively easy-they can be deposited for pickup or dropped off at recycling centers. Some materials, including plastic, metal, glass, and paper, are commonly recycled. Many different kinds of materials are recyclable. For example, reusing existing materials means that fewer new ones have to be produced, which can lower factory emissions, reduce the need for new natural resources, and lower dependence on landfills. Recycling helps to conserve limited resources, and-its proponents argue-it has other environmental benefits as well. This can be accomplished in expected ways-such as using recycled paper as packaging material-or unexpected ways-such as using recycled glass to make artificial turf. Recycling is the practice of reusing materials in existing products to create new ones. But if you recycle, the materials you got rid of yesterday could end up back on a store's shelf in the future. What happens to the things you throw away? If you dispose of them in the trash, your old stuff will probably end up sitting in a landfill. Mechanics, Technicians, and Machinery Maintenance Workers. ![]()
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