20 Time Research Paper

Emily Randall

Throughout American history, we have gone through all of these forms of getting
rid of old things, such as furniture. In the 1950’s we highlighted disposable objects. And
more recently recycling has gone through society with the addition of recycling bins to
most alleyways. Now, people are repurposing and DIYing old items into new ones.
Despite these different methods of getting rid of items, people have found the best and
worst aspects of them. Some people think that recycling furniture is the most eco
friendly way to dispose of it. While others think that upcycling old furniture is better. And
still others believe the best thing to do is to throw it away. These different opinions on
recycling, upcycling, and throwing away, stem from disagreements about which is better
for resource protection and limiting pollution and other personal factors. So Is it better to
recycle, upcycle, or to throw away old furniture?
Since there are many things people can do with old or broken furniture, finding
the best one depends on factors such as which technique is better for sustaining natural
resources. In the article ¨How the furniture industry is embracing recycled materials¨, it
talks about how recycling aids natural resource sustainability “By adopting the mindset
that there is already an abundance of usable materials, furniture retailers are finding
their role in the circular economy.”(​Kay​) The furniture field is beginning to understand
that there are materials in the world that can be recycled and manufactured into new
objects, which can help the economy and the world in general. This quote reveals that
recycling furniture is great for resource sustainability because there are already so
many reusable resources which can be taken and remanufactured rather than depleting
natural ones by creating new goods. Recycling has more to do with breaking the objects
down and reusing parts of them in order to manufacture a new object.
In addition to recycling, upcycling old furniture also helps preserve natural
resource sustainability by lessening waste. In the article “​The Environmental, Social and
Personal benefits of Upcycling!​”, it states, “The environmental benefits of upcycling are
mammoth, aside from minimizing the volume of discarded materials and waste being
sent to landfill each year, it also reduces the need for production using new or raw
materials...”(​Collaborator​) This quote means that upcycling not only reduces the amount
of waste but also reduces the production of new materials which in turn saves raw
resources. This quote also reveals that upcycling things such as furniture help save
natural resources. Because instead of creating brand new things, people take existing
objects and repurpose them to create new things.
While the act of throwing away old items does not help in resource sustainability,
because it focuses on disposing items in which we no longer need. In the article ¨Trash
in America: Moving From Destructive Consumption to a Zero-Waste System¨, it states,
¨Natural resources are continually extracted to produce goods that are used in the U.S.
– often only briefly – before they are thrown into landfills, incinerators or the natural
environment.¨(​Bradford​) and ¨The U.S. produces more than 30 percent of the planet’s
total waste, though it is home to only 4 percent of the world’s population.¨(​Bradford)​
These quotes mean that throwing things away is extremely harmful to the planet and to
resource conservation because the goods produced by manufacturers are being thrown
away soon after their production. This means that thrown away items and materials feed
straight into landfills and incinerator, which means new materials must replace those
thrown away. As Americans, we are the main contributor of waste production which
means we are throwing away many things after single use without trying to recycle or
upcycle them.

There are many ways people can change or get rid of materials such as furniture.
However, some practices increase pollution while others try to minimize it the best they
can. According to the article ¨Recycling Basics”, Recycling is good for decreasing the
amount of pollution because it “Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and
incinerators.”(​EPA​) and “Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw
materials.”(​EPA​) These quotes mean that according to the US Environmental Protection
Agency, recycling creates less waste and reduces pollution by decreasing the amount
of waste dumped into landfills and toxic gas piped into the atmosphere.This quote
reveals that recycling is great for decreasing pollution because there is less physical
pollution, items in landfills, and less air and water pollution because there is less of a
need to manufacture raw materials into products because the materials can be reused.
Upcycling furthers the life of items which reduces the pollution but it doesn't
put an end to it. In the text “​Upcycling Evolves From Recycling​”, it states, “Unlike
traditional recycling, in which materials like plastic and paper are gradually degraded
and can be reused only a limited number of times, upcycling turns waste into products
of greater value. That offers hope for achieving the biggest goal of environmentally
minded design, using materials, again and again, to keep them out of
landfills.”(​Gardiner​) And “More important, environmentalists argue, are the greenhouse
gases created by producing and transporting even more plentiful raw materials...”
(​Gardiner​) These quotes mean that recycling materials is not enough because they can
only be made into new products a limited number of time while upcycling objects gives
everything unlimited opportunities to be used differently. Also, when people don't
upcycle, pollution is created, not just through the manufacturing process but also
through the transportation of raw materials.These quotes reveal that upcycling is great
at minimizing pollution. When people choose to upcycle they are giving an object an
unlimited amount of reusability instead of the one or two it would have had otherwise.
This limits the amount of physical, air, and water pollution. And also decreases the
amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Throwing old items, like furniture, away increases the amount of pollution in our
society and in the world. In the article “Basic Information about Landfill Gas”, it states,
“​Landfill gas is a natural byproduct of the decomposition of organic material in landfills.
Landfill Gas is composed of roughly 50 percent methane...Methane is a potent
greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the
atmosphere over a 100-year period​¨(​EPA​) This quote means that waste which is thrown
away is left to rot in landfills which can cause methane gas. This methane gas attributes
to the greenhouse effect which is a major contributor to global warming. Also, In an
article titled ¨Environmental Impacts¨, it states “Gases from incineration may cause air
pollution and contribute to acid rain, while the ash from incinerators may contain heavy
metals and other toxins.”(​Issi​) This quote means that in addition to rising climate, some
waste is burning which creates air pollution and particulate pollution. This pollution in
the air is breathed into the lungs of people and can cause serious respiratory and health
effects. These quotes reveal how dangerous it is to throw away garbage such as
furniture because it contributes to global air pollution which can end up causing global
warming and horrible health issues.
What is the best and most effective way to get rid of old furniture? Should you
recycle? Upcycle? Or simply throw it away? There are people who support each of
these practices for a number of reasons. However, some of the most important points to
think about is whether the actions are good for sustaining natural resources and
preventing the increase of pollution. We live in a world which has been held in the
balance of different viewpoints such as these. There are good and bad things which
revolve around recycling, upcycling, and throwing away. But, I do believe some of these
practices rank better for the environment than others. Upcycling is the best for both
resources and pollution prevention. Recycling is still good for resource sustainability but
it still contributes to pollution. And the most detrimental to Earth’s resources and
pollution levels is throwing old furniture away.
Works Cited:

“Basic Information about Landfill Gas.” ​EPA,​ Environmental Protection Agency, 20 Feb.
2019, www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas.

Bradford, Abi. “Trash in America: Moving From Destructive Consumption to a

Zero-Waste System.” ​Trash in America | Frontier Group​, 12 Feb. 2018,
frontiergroup.org/reports/fg/trash-america.

Collaborator, Helium. “The Environmental, Social and Personal Benefits of Upcycling!”

Upcycle Studio,​ Upcycle Studio, 24 May 2018,
www.upcyclestudio.com.au/blogs/sustainable-living/the-environmental-social-and
-personal-benefits-of-upcycling.

Gardiner, Beth. “Upcycling Evolves From Recycling.” ​The New York Times,​ The New
York Times, 3 Nov. 2010,
www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/business/energy-environment/04iht-rbogup.html.

Issi. “Environmental Impacts.” ​Green Choices​, Green Choices, 23 Jan. 2019,

www.greenchoices.org/green-living/waste-recycling/environmental-impacts.

Kay, Molly. “How the Furniture Industry Is Embracing Recycled Materials.” ​Recycling
Today,​ Recycling Today, 9 May 2018,
www.recyclingtoday.com/article/furniture-companies-circular-economy/.

“Recycling Basics.” ​EPA​, Environmental Protection Agency, 1 Aug. 2018,

www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics.

“The Environmental, Social and Personal Benefits of Upcycling!” ​Upcycle Studio​,

Upcycle Studio, 24 May 2018,
www.upcyclestudio.com.au/blogs/sustainable-living/the-environmental-social-and
-personal-benefits-of-upcycling.