Since your childhood, you’ve probably been constantly reminded of recycling. Maybe you recall sorting your garbage in elementary school: snack wrappers go in the trash can, but extra scratch paper goes in the recycling bin. Maybe you have a habit of using your own totes instead of getting plastic bags at the grocery store. Or perhaps you bring a reusable water bottle to work. The concept of recycling is one that has been driven into our heads for years now. But, it may not be what it seems.
Recycling Contamination
The process of recycling can create pollution. This idea seems counterproductive. After all, recycling exists to help the environment. However, there are many ways that recycling can cause pollution.
For example, many people do not know if something is recyclable or not. But, in an effort to be environmentally conscious, they recycle the waste anyway. If just one non recyclable or dirty product, such as a dirty diaper or a food wrapper, gets mixed up in a batch of recyclables, all of them can become contaminated. When this occurs, everything in that batch will have to be thrown in a landfill.
Problems Globally
Recycling has also caused problems on a global scale. In January of 2018, China stopped accepting global recyclable waste, a practice they had held for years. This decision led to chaos in many countries that had previously shipped their recyclable waste to China. These countries have also struggled with pollution since China stopped accepting their waste.
Jeff Geho, the GIS Sustainability Intern at KSU, agrees with the idea that recycling is not all it’s cracked up to be.
“If we look at the grand scheme of sustainable development, I don’t know if recycling is the end-all, be-all,” Geho says. “Recycling is oftentimes lauded as a definite conclusion when it’s actually a false panacea.”
Is ignorance bliss?
“We, as a developed country, don’t really get to see all of the negative impacts [of recycling],” Geho says. “There is a river of clothing garbage in Ghana. We’ve collapsed markets in Haiti because Goodwill ships them bales of clothing.”
As wasteful consumers, people living in developed countries send their old clothing waste to developing nations.
“We have abjectly removed the consumer from the process of morality,” Geho says.
There are still ways to make a difference in the process of recycling, rendering it an environmentally friendly solution that has room for improvement. The biggest change that an average college student can make is in how they consume. The easiest example is bottled water. We all drink water, but how you drink it can make a world of difference when it comes to environmental sustainability. If you usually buy plastic water bottles, try buying a reusable water bottle and filling it up instead. There are even places around campus where you can fill your water up for free. Look for stations in Prillaman Hall or in the KSU campus Student Center.
Conscious Consumption
Another great way to decrease your ecological footprint, and to aid in the betterment of the process of recycling, is to become a more conscious consumer.
“Fundamentally, we have developed a society where we are okay living beyond our means,” Geho says.
Before making a purchase, he suggests taking a minute to think about it and assess whether it is a want or a need. If you don’t need it, think about why you want it. Decreasing the amount of waste that you produce will be very helpful in the long run.
“As a responsible consumer, you can start shifting the patterns,” Geho says.
Recycling can help when done with care
While it is important to look at the process of waste reduction with a cautiously critical eye, it isn’t all bad. As long as we do it responsibly, it is actually extremely helpful to the environment. There are many opportunities for recycling in Kennesaw, whether you want to find a career involved in sustainability or you just want to reduce your waste.
In fact, most recycling centers pay you to bring in glass recyclables! If your apartment complex doesn’t have recycling, go ahead and do some research to find the right recycling company for you. If you live on campus, KSU itself accepts recyclables and promotes sustainability.
Although recycling can be dangerous to the environment when it is done incorrectly, every single one of us has the opportunity to make a difference after being properly educated. By recycling properly and being more conscious of the decisions we make when shopping, cooking, and eating, we all have the potential to change the course of recycling.
Cover photo by Vivianne Lemay on Unsplash