caps

CAPSTONE ESSAY

12/9/1015
Alyssa Velez

Recycling is defined as the process to convert waste materials into reusable material to
prevent waste of useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, and reduce air
pollution and water pollution from keeping trash out of landfills. By reducing the need for
conventional waste we lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The importance of recycling can be observed in multiple ways. When new products are
manufactured from the raw material obtained from recycled products, it saves a lot of energy
which is consumed for the production. When new products are manufactured from materials, the
amount of energy consumed is much higher. Besides, the energy required to acquire and
transport the raw materials from their origins or natural sources is saved. Add to that the energy
which is required to clean and protect the environment from the pollutant waste products,
especially those which plastic and fill up the landfill areas.
Recycling saves environmental conditions and reduces pollution. Recycling helps in
preventing global climate change to a great extent. By minimizing the energy spent on industrial
production, recycling also helps in reducing greenhouse gas emission. Some of the major fossil
fuels used in most industries include coal, diesel, and gasoline. All these emit harmful gases such
as methane, sulfur dioxide, carbon-dioxide to the environment. The processing of fresh raw
material also creates toxic materials which pollute the environment. By reducing the energy used,
recycling also minimizes the amount of fuel usage which in turn reduces the amount of harmful
pollutants in the environment.
Recycling saves natural resources. We know that recycling involves the processing and
usage of the core elements of an old product for the production of new products. This helps in
saving our natural resources to a great extent. For example, once an old newspaper is recycled
we do not need to use the resource of another tree to produce new paper products. This way,

proper recycling can help us preserve our natural resources for our future generations and
maintain the balance of the nature.
Economic benefits are similar to energy and natural resource, recycling also helps in
saving a lot of expenses, which are demanded for the production of new products from materials.
These expenses include the entire production cycle itself, from acquiring the raw materials,
transferring them from their origin to production places, and processing and manufacturing
costs.
Recycling process creates employment opportunities for a lot of people, involved in the
various stages of the process. This in turn contributes to the economic development of the state
or country. Recycling saves space for waste disposal. Most of the landfill sites are filled up with
a lot of waste products that could have been recycled effectively. Some of these waste materials
belong to non-biodegradable category which takes a long time to decompose. Recycling enables
proper usage of these waste products and saves space for landfills. The pace with which landfills
are getting filled up, soon we might run short of landfills unless we start following recycling at
our own home and spread the word to others.
Recycling is one of the greatest ways for you as an individual to make a positive impact
on the planet. Recycling is crucial to both humans and the environment. The volume of waste we
create is constantly increasing, so we should act quickly. Economic growth means that people are
purchasing more products and generating more waste. Population growth means that there are
more people, who in turn create more waste. New technology and packaging are being
developed, much of which is non-biodegradable. Fast food and other constantly evolving
lifestyle habits create more non-biodegradable waste. Recycling is crucial, because waste has a

large negative influence on the environment. Destructive substances and greenhouse gases are
constantly released from the trash in landfills.
Recycling can help to reduce the size of the landfills. Deforestation leads to global warming and
destruction of animal habitats. Recycling reduces the demand for raw materials, removing the
need for deforestation. The production of raw materials takes sizeable amounts of energy.
Recycling helps preserve natural resources because it uses less energy. Recycling is
important to urban areas worldwide. There are economic benefits, as well. Creating products
from raw materials is more expensive than using recycled products. The Earth and its resources
need to be protected for future generations. Using recycled materials preserves the natural
resources and uses less energy.
The benefits of recycling are reduce of size of landfills. One of the biggest reasons why
recycling has been promoted is that it does reduce the strain on our environment. By utilizing
waste products in a constructive way, we can slowly decrease the size of our landfills. As the
population grows, it will become difficult for the landfills to hold so much and trash. When this
happens, our cities and beautiful landscapes will face pollution, poisoning and many health
problems.
The benefits of recycling can help keep the pollution in check and decrease it little by
little. Conserve natural resources like Scrap cars, old bottles, junk mail and used rubber tires are
becoming common features of our landfills. All of these may seem endless, but the resources
required to make them are finishing off quickly. Recycling allows all of these junk items to be
used over and over again so that new resources do not have to be exploited. It conserves natural
resources such as water, minerals, coal, oil, gas and timber.

Another one of the benefits of recycling is that it allows more emphasis to be put on
creating technology to utilize what already exists. This is why a number of industries support
programs where they can receive large quantities of recyclable material to convert into new
items. It offers cash benefits Recycling is not all about being charitable and doing what is good
for the environment. If it were so, everybody would recycle out of the goodness of their hearts.
Most governments have policies in place which give financial benefits to those who recycle.
People that take the aluminum cans or glass bottles.
Alyssa wants to help my school experience the beauty of recycling can accomplish.
Alyssa believes schools should have a recycling programs because they can raise additional
funds for the school's activities. It could be a fun way of teaching children how to care for the
environment. It involves the whole community, parents, teachers, and kids to unite by recycling.
Having a common ground to make the environment safe for them to live in. It is the best legacy
that a school can impart to students. Students who learn from the school, that, recycling makes a
great difference in the community and the environment, thus, the children / students can likely
care more about themselves, community, and their future as well.
Recycling can also benefit schools. It can reduce cost and make money. Like other
businesses, schools pay for waste disposal. In many cases, recycling services cost less than trash
disposal. Schools and districts that make an effort to recycle can see significant savings in trash
disposal costs. In some cases, recycling may even allow your school to raise revenue through the
sale of recyclables. Decreasing the use of materials such as office paper also reduces purchasing,
handling, and storage costs.
It can also help educate students. Opportunities for environmental education. By
implementing recycling programs in schools or districts, teachers and administrators demonstrate

environmental responsibility and good decision making. School recycling programs also offer
hands-on, real-life project-based learning opportunities to teach students about sustainability.
Environmental education provides an integrating base to learn about economics, current events,
and environmental policy and laws. Opportunities for service learning. School recycling
programs also allow for service-learning by offering hands-on experiences that go beyond
classroom learning. For example, students might participate in community waste collection days
or share recycling tips with neighbors. Service learning provides students with valuable
experience volunteering in the community and teaches new skills such as communications, teambuilding, critical thinking, and decision-making.
Alyssa would like to organize a recycling program for administrators, teachers, parents,
students and other volunteers. First I would organize team that will be responsible of gaining
support from school or district officials to initiate a recycling program. We will work with the
school to set the preliminary and long-term goals of the recycling program. We would gather and
analyzing information relevant to the design of the program. Promoting the program to other
employees and students and educating them on ways to participate. Reporting to school about the
status of the program.
Second, Alyssa would conduct a waste assessment to identify the types and amount of
waste your school or district is producing. This activity can be as simple as asking your
maintenance staff to calculate or estimate the amount of waste your school or district throws
away. This assessment will help identify current methods of handling waste and start you
thinking about how these methods can be modified to make your school or school district more
environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Third, Alyssa would target identifying materials. Determining which materials our
program will focus on. We will find options for reusable and recyclable materials. Considering
options for collecting and storing materials. Identify waste that could easily be reduced, reused,
or recycled .Which materials would be most effective and efficient to recycle. Establish a
baseline for measuring progress of recycling efforts. We will need to gather or purchase bins to
collect recyclables in classrooms, cafeterias, and other areas. Our program will also need large
containers to store recyclables. Decide if we will need different bins for different materials.
Determine which type of bins will be used to collect materials in classrooms, offices, halls, the
library, and the cafeteria. Label our bins. Signs should be used to identify which materials are
collected in which bins.
After we gather all the materials, school volunteers can drop off recyclables at a vendor
or recycling center. We could also hire a recycling or waste company to pick up recyclables. We
could ask what kind of services they offer. Maybe our school doesnt have to be the only on
recycling. The company could also put a service to the schools neighborhood.
Now for our last step, we will spread it. We will notify the entire school and then our
surrounding community about our recycling program. Explain how it will run, why we have a
program, and how members of the community can get involved. Faculty and staffs from other
places might be interested in helping design the programs educational component. Helping to
generate interest on behalf of the parents and kids. To make our program larger we will send emails, flyers or letters home with students or group members to inform parents and others of
program specifics. Display posters and written messages around the school. Make
announcements during school, at staff meetings, and at PTO meetings to tell friends or family to
spread the word or hold a special assembly or presentation to kick off the program. Schools need

help recycling but if all of us put the effort into it we can make a difference and spread, not only
to schools but to other business.
Recycling is important in many ways. What Alyssa has learn from this process was that
litter can threatens a wildlife. We need to not only think of ourselves but others too. We are
putting animals in danger. Fishing lines can trap legs, wings, or neck of swans. A fishhook may
get stuck in a birds throat. Lizards often crawl inside bottles or cans to hide to seek protection or
search for food but find it difficult to get out and die of overheating. Birds and fish, and others
may be in danger by plastic six-pack holders.
Knowing this kind of information can help me in the future by securing my future. Now I
know what to do and what not to do. I never really thought of what wasting resources can do to
us. Knowing this information I can teach others to not litter and always be thankful to live in this
world but also to take care of it. Recycling is major problem in this time period. People dont
think twice before throwing a good can away and thinking one day that can could become a
stadium.
Recycling is something you can do to help cut down on waste. When you recycle,
something worn out can be made new again, instead of just being thrown away. There are also
two other ways that help us avoid waste. Not getting more than you really need is a good way to
reduce, or use less. By using less paper and glass, we can help save the earth's resources like
trees and minerals from the ground. Using washable dishes and cloths instead of paper plates and
paper towels is a good way to reduce the amount of paper and plastic we use and throw away.
True recycling is more than just reusing something. It means breaking something apart
and turning it into something new. The most common things that can be recycled are paper,
glass, and metal. Many types of plastic and things made of wood can also be recycled. If

something cannot be reused, and it is made from a material that can be recycled, we can take it to
a recycling collection bin so that it can be made into something new.

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