Recycling is a necessary step in improving the way we live by becoming more environmentally responsible. It also aides the economy and affects each community in surprisingly positive ways. A recent study in Pennsylvania found that "3,200 recycling and reuse businesses and organizations in the state generate more than $18 billion in gross annual sales and provide jobs for more than 81,000 employees... In 2004, nearly 4.8 million tons of recyclable materials were recovered. The economic value of remaking those materials into new and useful products exceeded $113 million. Communities avoided some $260 million in disposal costs based on the estimated statewide average disposal cost of $54 per ton>" See "Recycling is Good Business" @ www.allbusiness.com/public-administration/administration-environmental/4065323-1.html Every year, billions of recyclable products such as plastic water bottles are sent to landfills instead of recycling centers. Many communities feel recycling programs are an added burden and expense. This not only happens in small rural towns such as Lake Charles, Louisiana, but in vastly populated cities such as New York. It is vital to reinstate these programs to combat environmental and health hazards associated with global contamination. Recycling is the logical step in leading a sustainable lifestyle and providing a better future for generations to come.

Sponsor

Links