By Kathy Owen | Wealth of Geeks
Garbage is a big problem in the United States. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. generated about 292 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018; the latest year figures are available.
People throw away solid waste every day. This includes every scrap of paper, glass, rubber, textiles, food, and plastic. Even with increased recycling habits, about 146 million tons of that waste ended up in a landfill.
The EPA reports the U.S. recycling rate is about 32% — up from less than 7% in 1960. Americans are also finding more ways to upcycle and repurpose, all to keep so much waste from going into landfills.
What Is Recycling?
The EPA defines recycling as “the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.”
Statista reports the U.S. will generate up to 140 million metric tons of plastic by 2060, three times the amount generated in 1980. About 80% of that municipal waste plastic is sent to a landfill. Even though recycling rates are up, not every plastic item can be recycled, and a lot of plastic ends up in our oceans, where it’s a serious threat to marine life.
Some wonder if recycling is even worth the effort. The EPA thinks so.
More companies are catching on and using either more recycled materials or doing away with plastic items altogether. Many restaurants use paper or bamboo drinking straws that can be recycled.
Some companies have also switched to “mono-material packaging film,” a plastic film that uses one material instead of several, making it more recyclable and eco-friendly. This growing business would reduce the amount of plastics in landfills and make it easier for everyday people to recycle plastic objects.
What Is Upcycling?
A Sustainability article defines “upcycling” as “the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.”
If an item is refurbished or remodeled but still maintains its basic use or material, it’s considered to be upcycled. For example, if someone buys an old dresser, strips it, refinishes or paints it, and changes the hardware, that dresser has been upcycled. It has more perceived value than it did before the refurbishment.
Researchers from The University of Bath in the United Kingdom have developed a process for upcycling plastic at room temperature. Plastic can be converted into its base chemicals, including BPA, which can then be recovered and wouldn’t end up in a landfill.
Devy Dar, with So Yummy Recipes, says, “I love recycling things… I strictly [sort] my rubbish according to its category, i.e. non recyclable, paper and cardboard, cans and bottles. I also love upcycling as much as I can. All my spice jars are used jam jars. I reuse the big yogurt pots and any plastic containers for storing food in the freezer. I feel recycling and upcycling are my least effort to help the environment, as we have too much litter on our planet.”
According to Future Learn, it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce enough cotton to make a single T-shirt. Besides keeping more waste out of landfills, upcycling is also a wiser use of natural resources since upcycled products don’t use new raw materials in their manufacturing.
Apparel can be difficult to recycle. As upcycling becomes more popular, thrifting is on the rise. When the garment has outlived its usefulness, the fiber content means it can be easily recycled into new fabric, which is then made into new clothing.
What Is Repurposing?
Throughout time, humans have found ways to repurpose items. Sometimes, broken tools were repurposed into other helpful items, or even a used jar was later used again later on.
One of the big trends in repurposing has been the resurgence of vintage furniture. People buy “ mid-century ” modern furniture pieces and restore them for their living rooms. They make liquor cabinets from TV stands and planters from lamp bases. Many people buy these items from thrift stores, which means they support a local business, don’t spend much money, and keep items out of the garbage.
Many people shop in thrift stores and yard sales to find pieces they can repurpose: old furniture, clothing, books, kitchen items, and even old tires. These designers create unique, useful pieces from items most people consider junk.
Repurposing also lends itself to art installations. According to Discover Los Angeles, the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, designed by Samuel Rodia, was built with used found objects, including pieces of tile and glass soda bottles to decorate the structures, murals, and other works of art. Rodia started the towers in 1921, and they were named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, 22 years after Rodia stopped work on the installation.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
