What Should We Think About When We Discuss Recycling?

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What Should We Think About When We Discuss Recycling?

Author: stellastevens | Total views: 41 | Word Count: 791 | Category: Environment | Date: Jun 6th 2009

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A list of questions was then complied in order to gain more information in finding the answer with the aim of this project in mind. They were then as previously stated asked to both the owner, May Rooney and the workers at the paper mill.

Where are the recyclable materials found?

The paper is collected from the large banks and companies such as Shell. It was hard to get the paper originally and paper that is now collected has been shredded. Cardboard is also collected from the supermarkets for recycling.

Cloth that has also previously been thrown out or discarded is used to cover the books; denim is used to strengthen the spine. Research has also been undertaken in regards to compacting cardboard boxes to use as firewood, this is still in the testing stage; the idea comes from South Africa. All recycled materials are donated. Answers given by the owner, M. Rooney)

2. Is hardship felt by the project leader in convincing centres to donate their waste materials?

The owner initially felt hardship in convincing centres to donate their waste as they were initially cautious as what the waste would be used for and then data protection issues later arose. The owner did state that in the early days of its creation a large quantity of the waste was collected personally by the workers from both the local residents, local businesses and also through waste collection.

Once relationships improved and the initial concerned had been quashed and the owner managed to convince a number of banks and business such as Shell and the local waste collection area to donate their waste.

3. What are the main Western ideas/schemes towards recycling?

Recycling, especially in the UK has been a high government priority in recent years. Since 1980 recycling has increased, particularly with regards to glass and paper. Today the current initiative is reduce, re-use and recycle; this helps reduce the amount of waste,. Each UK household produces over 1 tonne of rubbish annually, amounting to about 31 million tonnes for the UK each year (Waste Watch.org.uk). A reduction would reduce the cost of managing the municipal waste produced in England. It is around 1.6 billion pounds per year. (Waste not, Want not; Cabinet Office, 2002).

The reusing initiative is also used and projects such as Freecycle, an organisation that offers products for free on the condition that the item can be collected. It was created by Deron Beal, an environmentalist who lives in Arizona, USA, in 2003. Following the creation of a landfill site near to his some residence, he felt that its contents could be reused. The project is run through Yahoo! groups throughout the world and has more than 1.2 million members (www.bbc.co.uk/news).

The idea is to reuse the products rather than them increasing congestion in landfill sites. The project has proved very successful and its expansion and increased the number of transactions over recent years show the projects success.

Recycling within the UK is very expansive, and many of todays resources and products can be recycled. Items include: asbestos, batteries, computers and electrical equipment, glass, metal, mobile phones, paper, plastic, textiles and many more. These items can easily be recycled at home with home collection bins and at recycle banks located through the UK. These home recycling schemes are encouraged through the development of fewer refuse collections per household.

In addition there are also an increased number of recycling collections and through initiatives such as Keep Britain Tidy and Recycle at Home. These provide information on local collection points and on materials that can be recycled.

4. Does The Gambia have recycling ideas/schemes?

Ideas within The Gambia are not really seen as schemes but they are traditional methods regarding self sufficiency and to help keep the cost of living low. Evidence includes the reduction in packing material and the resourcefulness of its inhabitants. The recycling of groundnut shells used for fertiliser as mentioned previously is an example of this self sufficiency, recycling and resourcefulness.

These results show that the project is sustainable with regards to the definition; the project is sustainable as it does not exhaust resources with regards to raw materials, workers and the local economy. The raw materials are donated thus they are not exhausting a resource as they have already been discarded.

However as they are donated they cannot be completely relied upon. The workers are employed from the local area thus they are adding to the local economies sustainability and they give a knock-on effect with regards to putting money back into the community through employing local workers.

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About the Author

Stella Stevens is an expert Geographer. She conrtibutes to many publications written for Primary Schools. For more information, visit http://www.primary-school-resources.com

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A list of questions was then complied in order to gain more information in finding the answer with the aim of this project in mind. They were then as previously stated asked to both the owner, May Rooney and the workers at the paper mill. 
 
Where are the recyclable materials found? 
 
The paper is collected from the large banks and companies such as Shell. It was hard to get the paper originally and paper that is now collected has been shredded. Cardboard is also collected from the supermarkets for recycling. 
 
Cloth that has also previously been thrown out or discarded is used to cover the books; denim is used to strengthen the spine. Research has also been undertaken in regards to compacting cardboard boxes to use as firewood, this is still in the testing stage; the idea comes from South Africa. All recycled materials are donated. Answers given by the owner, M. Rooney) 
 
2. Is hardship felt by the project leader in convincing centres to donate their waste materials? 
 
The owner initially felt hardship in convincing centres to donate their waste as they were initially cautious as what the waste would be used for and then data protection issues later arose. The owner did state that in the early days of its creation a large quantity of the waste was collected personally by the workers from both the local residents, local businesses and also through waste collection. 
 
Once relationships improved and the initial concerned had been quashed and the owner managed to convince a number of banks and business such as Shell and the local waste collection area to donate their waste. 
 
3. What are the main Western ideas/schemes towards recycling? 
 
Recycling, especially in the UK has been a high government priority in recent years. Since 1980 recycling has increased, particularly with regards to glass and paper. Today the current initiative is reduce, re-use and recycle; this helps reduce the amount of waste,. Each UK household produces over 1 tonne of rubbish annually, amounting to about 31 million tonnes for the UK each year (Waste Watch.org.uk). A reduction would reduce the cost of managing the municipal waste produced in England. It is around 1.6 billion pounds per year. (Waste not, Want not; Cabinet Office, 2002). 
 
The reusing initiative is also used and projects such as Freecycle, an organisation that offers products for free on the condition that the item can be collected. It was created by Deron Beal, an environmentalist who lives in Arizona, USA, in 2003. Following the creation of a landfill site near to his some residence, he felt that its contents could be reused. The project is run through Yahoo! groups throughout the world and has more than 1.2 million members (www.bbc.co.uk/news). 
 
The idea is to reuse the products rather than them increasing congestion in landfill sites. The project has proved very successful and its expansion and increased the number of transactions over recent years show the projects success. 
 
Recycling within the UK is very expansive, and many of todays resources and products can be recycled. Items include: asbestos, batteries, computers and electrical equipment, glass, metal, mobile phones, paper, plastic, textiles and many more. These items can easily be recycled at home with home collection bins and at recycle banks located through the UK. These home recycling schemes are encouraged through the development of fewer refuse collections per household. 
 
In addition there are also an increased number of recycling collections and through initiatives such as Keep Britain Tidy and Recycle at Home. These provide information on local collection points and on materials that can be recycled. 
 
4. Does The Gambia have recycling ideas/schemes? 
 
Ideas within The Gambia are not really seen as schemes but they are traditional methods regarding self sufficiency and to help keep the cost of living low. Evidence includes the reduction in packing material and the resourcefulness of its inhabitants. The recycling of groundnut shells used for fertiliser as mentioned previously is an example of this self sufficiency, recycling and resourcefulness. 
 
These results show that the project is sustainable with regards to the definition; the project is sustainable as it does not exhaust resources with regards to raw materials, workers and the local economy. The raw materials are donated thus they are not exhausting a resource as they have already been discarded. 
 
However as they are donated they cannot be completely relied upon. The workers are employed from the local area thus they are adding to the local economies sustainability and they give a knock-on effect with regards to putting money back into the community through employing local workers. Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesoft.com" target="_blank">ArticleSoft.com</a> About the Author: Stella Stevens is an expert Geographer. She conrtibutes to many publications written for Primary Schools. For more information, visit http://www.primary-school-resources.com