People Should Be Required to Recycle Trash

Trash recycling programs are tremendously beneficial to society. In addition to decreasing pollution and helping to preserve the ecosystem, recycling trash saves money and also reinforces citizens' sense of civic responsibility. The fact that we live increasingly in a "disposable society" increases the importance of recycling because the amount of space available to dispose of our trash is limited. That means that whether or not we emphasize recycling of trash sooner or later, there is no question that it will eventually be an absolute necessity. Many of our synthetic products are not biodegradable, meaning that they will continue to exist in the exact form in which they are disposed for thousands of years. Some of them contain chemicals that are damaging to the environment, including to natural resources such as the water table upon which our communities depend.

Recycling trash is obviously a good way to contribute to the alleviation of the pollution problem. Obviously, every piece of trash that is recycled represents trash that will not have to be disposed of in landfills. Moreover, recycling trash also helps alleviate the problem of the increasing cost of energy, simply because it requires significantly less energy to recycle existing material and reformulate it into other usable materials than it does to create products from raw materials instead. Typical examples of recycling processes that conserve energy without reducing the quality of the end product would include recycled glass and recycled paper products. In both cases, the products made from recycled trash are functionally identical to non-recycled products made through the traditional manufacturing processes. Meanwhile, they are cheaper than their traditionally-manufactured counterparts, representing saving opportunities for consumers, something that is also extremely important, especially in times of economic difficulty.

Recycling trash provides a viable means of saving money in several ways. Besides the direct savings from the recycling manufacturing process, recycling programs also generate jobs. Particularly in times of economic challenge and high unemployment, recycling programs help reduce unemployment among some of the least employable populations, many of whom would otherwise remain unemployed. As minimal as the earning potential associated with collecting recycling materials, that opportunity also allows some of the most unfortunate members of society (i.e. The homeless) to earn money while simultaneously contributing to the larger social good. Finally, the entire social dynamic involved in the recycling process contributes to the sense of social and civic responsibility among citizens. Whether in the process of complying with recycling rules, taking recyclable materials to collection centers, or working in the recycling industry, the process promotes a general sense of community involvement and social responsibility at all levels.