Recycling

Many people recycle in general, but the recycling of plastic is a controversial issue. The landfills in Europe are reaching their capacity and some people are opposed to garbage incineration. So now, many plastics are collected from consumers and then recycled. There is some resistance to recycling plastics in the plastic industry. The industry’s argument is that virgin plastic, which is the material yet unused and synthesized from fossil fuels, is a low-cost material made from low-cost raw materials such as natural gas and crude oil. As a result the energy used to makes plastics is minimal compared to the amount used to produce metal form raw material. Some people in the plastic industry will argue that the natural way to dispose plastics is to burn them and utilize the energy from the heat. Environmentalists will counter the arguments and mention that if environmental impacts were included in the cost of virgin materials; recycled plastics would be much cheaper. Also mentioned is that the combustion of PVC produced toxic organic compounds that release hydrogen chloride gas, which can damage the lungs when inhaled.
I think recycling is a great idea. Recycling is eco-friendly and can help save money too. I think everyone should recycle. It doesn’t just have to be plastic; it can be aluminum cans, paper, cardboard, etc. The planet would be better off and landfills wouldn’t be overloaded. There are many places and stores that have recycling centers, which people should get into a habit of using. As they say, reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Baird, Colin. Chemistry in Your Life: Second Edition. “The recycling of plastic is a controversial issue” W.H. Freeman and Company. New York. 2006. Page 190.