Since there has already been irreversible damage to the earth and the fact that people are unaware of this is terrifying. It is believed that recycling won't have a permanent lasting impact on the earth because of how bad everything has already gotten, so some think there is no point really at all. People are not worrying as much as they should be, and some even refuse to acknowledge the science behind the issue. There are so many factors to huge issues such as climate change and although it is too late to come up with a permanent solution to an issue as large as this one, the little things do matter and should not be forgotten or ignored, but encouraged.
Waste and trash has a huge negative impact on nature. Harmful chemicals are released into the air and ground. “According to the Clean Air Council, residents of the United States alone throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.” (Edwards). This statistic alone, of only plastic bottles shows just how much people waste. Those bottles take up a lot of space in landfills, this significantly shortens the amount of time landfills are functional, and without the mass amounts of bottles, the lifespan of these landfills would be much longer, requiring less of them to be built. “In 2009, North Carolina became the first to enact a ban on disposing of plastic bottles in landfills.” (Edwards).
Recycling is really the best thing to do when disposing of trash, in more ways than one. It just relieves so much clutter and saves space on earth. The more that is recycled, the less there is to be left in landfills. We only get one chance on this earth and in this lifetime there have been more changes than one.
The value of the earth, environment, and all of its resources are not something to be taken for granted. Even if there is nothing to be done on a permanent level, there is a certain respect that the earth deserves. We owe it to the earth to not take advantage of it and not litter it with waste that does not need to be there. In order to attempt to give back to the planet we need to keep it clean first, then the rest will follow. Since there isn’t a way to restore the damage already done, it is possible to try to make it at least go slower.
I believe that recycling is a crucial component to the success of our society and people should be more aware of its importance and the real effects of their actions towards the planet. As a whole, people need to learn the values of their planet and that the more they take advantage of it and what it has to offer the faster we will lose what we really need. People feel recycling doesn't have the impact we need, which is true, but it is a very important place to start. The earth loves us, and recycling is a small, simple way for us to show that we love it back.
Works Cited
Edwards, Ciele. “Harmful Effects of Plastic Bottles.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 13 June 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/172156-harmful-effects-of-plastic-bottles/.
Newton, John. “The Effects of Landfills on the Environment.” Sciencing, 1 Feb. 2018, sciencing.com/effects-landfills-environment-8662463.html.
“Recycling Basics.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 7 Nov. 2017, www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics.