Recycling Myths

            So far, after being in this class for just under a week, I have already learned so much about the materials economy and waste management.  After traveling to different businesses and locations on our field trips, one specific area kept sticking out to me as I wondered about where our trash really goes, and what we as a population can do to help improve our planet.  Recycling.  Now, I know that recycling alone can not solve every problem, but it is a big part of it, and I wondered about the different myths and false beliefs about this process that people held, and what I could do to help set it straight!  I found a website that focuses on these "rumors" of recycling, and the real facts behind them. 

http://www.denvergov.org/trashrecycling/TrashandRecycling/ReduceReuse/RecyclingMyths/tabid/441448/Default.aspx

I know one thing they talked about at Ray's was the importance of clean recycling.  One myth this website has is that all containers need to be rinsed, washed, and have their labels removed.  This is not true, they state, because all that matters is that the container be emptied, and labels can stay on, because the heat generated in the remanufacturing process of plastic, glass and metal containers results in the labels simply being burned off!

Another myth stated on this website is the idea that it takes more energy to collect recyclables than the energy saved by recycling.  This, is not true, because the energy required to convert raw materials such as minerals, oils and trees into metals, plastics and paper is a lot more than the amount of energy required to collect and recycle our paper, bottles, and cans into new products.  In fact studies show that there's actually a savings of 11.9 million Btu's per ton of material recycled.

Those are just some of the myths this website states, but take a look at more! They're very interesting and could play a huge role in educating people about accurate recycling!