Local Recycling Centers

• Author: Kyler Massner
• Pages: 27-30

Part I: Remove Code Barriers 27

LOCA L REC YCL ING

CENT ERS

Kyler Massner (author)

Jonathan Rosenbloom & Christopher Duerksen (editors)

INTRODUCTION

Recycling has long been one of the most popular act ivities pursued by local

communities.1 e goal of recycling is to nd ways to reuse items and materi-

als that would otherwise be discarded into landlls. Some of the most com-

mon materials recycled include paper, plastic, and aluminum.2 Establishing

recycling centers within a municipal a rea helps to promote the practice of

recycling as they a llow for close and convenient collection points for recy-

clable materials.3 is proposal would permit recycling centers in a variety of

zones to help make recycling easier, convenient and ecient. Allowing recy-

cling centers to be in or near commercial and /or residential areas can increa se

recycling rates by bringing the opportunities to recycle closer to people.

EFFECTS

Recycling can be both a public service and a for-prot business. Recycling

removes trash and unwanted items, resulting in a benet to the public.4 In

addition, it can provide the recycler with the opportunity to repurpose or

resell the recycled material s.5 ese immediate benets are also ac companied

by reductions in greenhouse gases (GHG). Materials that could be recycled

are often discarded a nd end up in landlls.6 A s items decay in landlls meth-

ane gas is released.7 Metha ne is a powerful GHG that can be 28-36 times

more ecient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years,8 making

it a powerful and potent GHG. Reducing the amount of trash put into land-

lls also reduces t he number and size of landlls, which in t urn reduces the

amount of methane that land lls produce.9 Furthermore, recycled materials

can also be more ecient than u sing new materials, thus reducing additional

GHGs that would otherwise accrue in t he manufacturing process of new

materials.10