3) RecyclingThe average person in the U.S. produces 1,609 lbs. of waste each year. Recycling can cut that waste stream by up to 75%. If each of us just recycled paper, glass, and metal, we would save 162 million tons of material from entering American Landfills each year.
A perfect example of why we all need to pay attention to our behaviors, and recycle, is the Great Pacific Garbage Dump. Around 100 million tons of plastic are produced each year, of which about 10 % ends up in the sea. The currents in the ocean have created 5 known Gyre's; The North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean gyres. As you can very well imagine, this is causes many problems, mainly for our ocean life. The Eastern Pacific Garbage patch has the highest concentration of plastic matter. This is troublesome, because plastic does not biodegrade, it instead, disintigrates, causing it to break into smaller and smaller pieces, therefor becoming more digestable for more animals. I'm sure you have all seen dead birds on the beaches, possibly some caugh in a soda holder. But have you seen a turtle caught in a plastic band, forming his shell into the shape of an hour glass. These horrors are a direct result of us not taking care of our planet, and dumping instead of recycling.
We all need to be paying more attention to our actions. Please recycle everything you possibly can. If you need help figuring out what is recyclable and what is not, contact your local recycling plant, and they will provide you with a list.
Wikipedia - Garbage Dump
Wikipedia - Recycling
GreenPeace - Garbage Dump
A perfect example of why we all need to pay attention to our behaviors, and recycle, is the Great Pacific Garbage Dump. Around 100 million tons of plastic are produced each year, of which about 10 % ends up in the sea. The currents in the ocean have created 5 known Gyre's; The North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean gyres. As you can very well imagine, this is causes many problems, mainly for our ocean life. The Eastern Pacific Garbage patch has the highest concentration of plastic matter. This is troublesome, because plastic does not biodegrade, it instead, disintigrates, causing it to break into smaller and smaller pieces, therefor becoming more digestable for more animals. I'm sure you have all seen dead birds on the beaches, possibly some caugh in a soda holder. But have you seen a turtle caught in a plastic band, forming his shell into the shape of an hour glass. These horrors are a direct result of us not taking care of our planet, and dumping instead of recycling.
Wikipedia - Garbage Dump
Wikipedia - Recycling
GreenPeace - Garbage Dump
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