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Recycling
Recycling has been around for centuries. When Neanderthals lived thousands of years ago they had to hunt for meat. After they made a kill, which was extremely difficult using wooden spears, they used every part of the animal. They would eat all the meat just like we do with cows. But they didn’t throw the rest of the animal into a hole in the ground! They would reuse the skin and bones for clothing, shelter and tools. That is recycling at its finest! So why would you use a water bottle once and then throw it away? It just doesn’t make sense.
The first Earth Day in 1970 brought mass recycling into the public eye as an important issue. In the late 1980s, when landfill space began to diminish, interest in recycling soared and it grew into a great tool.
Most communities recycle at least some of their waste. The most common items recycled are paper, metal, glass and plastic.
Recycling consists of three parts - collecting the materials, reprocessing or remaking the materials and selling the remade materials. The collection process is what you do. You separate materials and put them on the curb or take them to a recycling collection site. From there the materials go on to a plant or facility that will reprocess them.
After the materials are reprocessed into the same or different items, they must be sold to make a profit. If a company makes products no one will buy, they go out of business. For years people considered recycled materials bad products so it was hard to sell them. But today people look for recycled products; which makes recycling profitable!
Many materials are made back into the same items. Aluminum cans are melted down and turned back into aluminum cans. Glass bottles usually become glass bottles. Newsprint becomes more newsprint. However, paper can only be recycled about 15 times before the fibers break down and won't stick together.
Some materials can become the same or a different item. A steel car body can become a new car or it can become a steel bridge. Plastic soda bottles can become new bottles or hard plastic toys, carpeting or even clothing like a T-shirt. In addition to the most commonly recycled items, some communities recycle motor oil, anti-freeze, scrap metal (big refrigerators and washers), tires, all kinds of paper, magazines, several forms of plastics and other items.
Composting is another form of recycling. It is taking the organic materials in the waste stream (usually about 18-20%) and turning it into mulch or fertilizer. Some communities have a compost facility that uses wind rows and machines to turn the rows over every few days. Some communities just separate their leaves and grass clippings and use them in a variety of ways. Some keep trees and brush separate as well.
Recycling is an excellent way to reduce the amount of trash going into your landfill and make good use of our natural resources.
Resources
Arizona Interagency Fire Prevention Kid's Page
Ask the Answer Worm! (Soil Questions)
UofA Youth Activities: Water Resources
Learn About Chemicals Around Your House
