Do we value progress? Of course we do, but how is that related to recycling, you ask? It is related because modern New Jerseyans are hard working and dedicated to their career goals, and in turn, really busy people. We move from one goal to the next, always eager for more, for something new and adventurous. As a result, our lifestyles rely heavily on consumer goods and we tend to discard them for two reasons: either we’re done with it or else a newer, better, or upgraded version of the product is available. Hence, we miss the bigger picture and in turn do not see the unsustainable environmental footprint our efforts may result in.
To begin with… by the time you reach the end of this sentence, 50,000 new 12-ounce aluminum cans would have been made.
According to reports, in 2004, 55 billion aluminum cans were land filled, littered or incinerated. What’s more is that this was a whopping 9 billion more than what was wasted in 2000. This is enough material to fill the Empire State building twenty times over, a quantity equaling the annual production of several aluminum smelters.
Reports state that (about 33,000,000) Americans throw around 33 million tons of food every year. Out of this 2.15 million tons of food residual could be saved on an annual basis. The question remains: This food can be saved by whom? The environment and the ecosystem’s processes have its own pace, and all of us know that the degeneration process takes time; sadly, we’ve outmatched nature’s ability to degenerate with the speed of our productivity. There is a way, and we know of it – Recycling. The problem is that we are not efficiently using it.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) report on Municipal Waste Disposal found:
- That in 2011 alone, recycling (inclusive of community composting) recovered 34.7 percent (86.9 million tons) of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generation.
Furthermore, the National Resources Defense Council reports that even if 75% of our nation’s waste (including municipal and construction and demolition waste) was to be recycled, we could reduce our emissions by 276 million tons by 2030. This amounts to eliminating emissions from 72 coal-fired power plants or else taking 50 million cars off the road.
As individuals, a community, and/or as a business we can easily contribute to securing and sustaining not only our future but also for the generations to come. The way forward is simple- have your garbage trucked off to proper recycling plants. Express Recycling and Sanitation for one is ever ready to be of service for this great cause.