PS

1. THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER
PLACE IF WE ALL RECYCLED
Kayla Regis
09/12/2020

2. “We are living on this planet as if we
have another to go to.
-Terri Swearingen
Nurse, Winner of Goldman Environmental Prize in 1997

3. A CLEANER WORLD
• Recycling reduces the need to
extract and process raw materials.
Extraction uses a lot of water and
can pollute even more water
supplies. Recycling cuts down on the
damage the need for raw materials
causes.
• Organic material dumped in a landfill
decomposes without oxygen. That
decomposition produces both
methane and carbon dioxide.
Landfills are the 3rd largest producer
of methane emissions in the U.S.

4. A CLEANER WORLD…
Composting, on the other hand,
produces far lower emissions, most
of which are from the machinery
used to run the composting plant.
Also, the use of compost as
fertilizer rather than artificial
fertilizer reduces the excess of
nitrogen and phosphorus running
off into rivers and lakes.

5. RECYCLING…
★ Saves energy
Using recycled materials
in the manufacturing
process uses
considerably less energy
than that required for
producing new products
from raw materials
★ Conserves
Resources
When we recycle, used
materials are converted into
new products, reducing the
need to consume natural
resources.
★Protects the
Environment
Recycling creation of substantial air and
water pollution. As recycling saves energy
it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions,
which helps to tackle climate change.

6. PAPER RECYCLING
Municipal paper recycling started in
Baltimore, Maryland, in 1874, as part of the
nation's first curbside recycling program. And
in 1896, the first recycling center opened in
New York City.
✦ Recycling paper conserves natural
resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse
gas emissions, and keeps landfill space free
for other types of trash that can't be
recycled.
✦ Recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees,
7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil,
3.3 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,000
kilowatts of energy
✦ In 2014, 65.4 percent of the paper used in
the United States was recovered for
recycling, for a total of 51 million tons.
✦ Paper can be recycled up to seven times
before it must be discarded.

7. PLASTIC RECYCLING
Many landfill facilities will
incinerate plastic bottles to save
waste. The plastic resin used to
make water bottles also
contains potentially harmful
chemicals which can seep into
the soil or groundwater if they
are able to break down in the
landfill.
The process for recycling plastic water
bottles requires less energy and fossil fuels,
it also results in fewer greenhouse gas
emissions. The Environmental Protection
Agency estimates that the average family
can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions
by up to 340 pounds annually simply be
recycling their plastic waste.

9. POLLUTION IS A PROBLEM
Much is made of plastic’s impact on our marine environments. And rightly so
given the massive destruction that plastics can wreak on our oceans. With 80
percent of marine garbage being land-based, 90 percent of that is estimated
to be plastic. Unlike other materials, plastic never truly decomposes,
it simply breaks into smaller bits that will remain in the oceans forever

10. POLLUTION IS A PROBLEM
For those living on the coasts, a mere walk on the beach
can give anyone insight into how staggering our
addiction to plastic has become as bottles, cans, bags,
lids, and straws (just to name a few) are ever-present.
Top 5 Marine Life Affected
1. Sea Turtles
2.Seals and Sea
Lions
3.Seabirds
4.Fish
5.Whales &
Dolphins

11. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✤ Clean Up After Yourself
If you’re on the beach or at the park,
be mindful of a “leave with what you
came with” policy. It also doesn’t
hurt to pick up after your neighbors if
you notice they may have left a few
things behind.
✤ Recycle
It’s simple to apply this to your
everyday life by recycling in your own
home. Most public places now offer
waste versus recycling options, too.

12. REFERENCES
✓ (n.d.) (2019, January 14). 5 Ways Plastic Pollution Impacts Animals on
Land. Retrieved from https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/
ways-plastic-pollution-impacts-animals-on-land/
✓ Lake, R. (2019, July 02). The Effect of Recycling Plastic Water Bottles on
the Environment. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/the-effect-of-
recycling-plastic-water-bottles-on-the-environment-5147392.html
✓ West, L. (n.d.). What Are the Benefits of Recycling Paper? Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-benefits-of-paper-recycling-1204139
✓ Why is recycling important? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
www.veolia.co.uk/nottinghamshire/recycling/recycle-nottinghamshire/
why-recycling-important
✓ Levins, W. (n.d.). Air Sea Containers Compliance Blog. Retrieved from
https://www.airseacontainers.com/blog/separate-your-glass-bottles-and-
aluminum-cans-what-would-it-mean-if-everyone-on-earth-recycled/