Recycling: Pros, Cons and Future Trends

Recycling: Pros, Cons and Future Trends

Benefits in energy savings and environmental conservation make recycling a hot subject; however, there are some downsides as well.

Zeeshan Amin

Dec 14, 2010

I am a professional mechanical engineer with a diverse experience of over 5 years in oil & gas and food industries.

Recycling refers to the conversion of waste materials into new raw materials and finished goods. Like any physical process, recycling has its own benefits and limitations. Generally, it is regarded as valuable to environment and human health, although some critics describe it as a flawed solution to waste disposal. The growing heaps of garbage and improved awareness about environmental problems have contributed to the growing recognition of recycling in the developed world.

Basics of Recycling

Recycling is generally categorized into two types; primary and secondary. Primary recycling, also called closed-loop recycling, turns recycled materials into new products of the same type. For example, used aluminum beverage cans are recycled into new beverage cans. Secondary recycling also called down cycling, recycles materials into new and different products. For example, used plastic milk jugs can be used for making outdoor furniture.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling supports energy conservation and environmental sustainability in a number of ways:

•Recycling enables substantial energy savings by converting wastes into resources; obviously, it takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product.

•Recycling saves precious natural resources by converting wastes into products; for example, recycled paper products facilitate conservation of trees.

•By reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and consequent carbon dioxide emissions, recycled products help combat global warming. In addition, recycling of wastes rather than landfill storage ensures fewer methane emissions.

•Recycling converts wastes that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or incinerators, into useful resources.

•Recycling reduces air, water and ground pollution; wastes stored in landfills may have toxic leakages to the environment.

•The development of the recycling industry can create new jobs; the industry requires workers for collecting recyclables and for plants that purchase and process recycling materials and convert them into final goods.

Downsides of Recycling

Opponents of recycling doubt the usefulness of the process and present several objections:

•Although it saves energy and material resources, recycling does not contribute in reducing the volume of generated wastes.

•Government-administered curbside recycling programs are often more expensive compared to landfill or incineration.

•Recycling is a manufacturing process, and like any manufacturing process, it consumes energy resources, thus production of recycled goods leaves its own environmental footprints.

•Small scale recycling is often expensive compared to other waste disposal methods; in addition, the ensuing environmental problems often supersede the benefits.

Future Trends in Recycling

Despite the criticism of the usefulness of recycling, the process is gaining popularity, especially in the developed world. The obvious reason is the associated benefit in terms of energy savings and environmental conservation. European countries like Sweden, France, Germany and Italy have performed particularly well in recycling wastes into products. In fact, some European states have enacted the policy of EPR, Extended Producer Responsibility; the manufactures own the take-back responsibility from cradle-to-grave.

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