Imagine you’re walking down the street with an empty water bottle in your hand. You might think, “It’s just one bottle. It won’t matter if I don’t recycle it.” But that one bottle can actually make a big difference!
Hi everyone, I’m Amy from DNews. Did you know that plastic bottles are a big part of the trash problem in America? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that about 12% of all the trash in the U.S. is made up of plastic products. That’s a lot of plastic, but the good news is that we can do something about it.
Most water bottles are made from a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. This kind of plastic is pretty easy to recycle. When you recycle a PET bottle, it goes to a special place where it’s turned into tiny flakes, cleaned, and then melted into small pellets. These pellets can be used to make new bottles or even other products. This process uses less energy and costs less than making new bottles from scratch.
But if you don’t recycle that bottle, it ends up in a landfill. Since plastic isn’t biodegradable, it just sits there forever, taking up space. On average, each person in America uses about 167 water bottles a year. With around 316 million people in the U.S., that’s about 52.77 billion plastic bottles every year! Unfortunately, most people only recycle about 38 of those bottles, which means over 40 billion bottles end up in landfills. That’s like throwing away more than $1 billion in plastic!
Sure, plastic bottles are convenient, especially when you’re in a hurry and need a drink. But we need to stop tossing them away. Recycling just one ton of plastic saves about 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. While we aren’t running out of landfill space yet, the number of landfills in America has dropped from nearly 8,000 to just over 1,600 in the last 20 years. However, these landfills are now bigger and can hold more trash.
The good news is that more people are recycling now than before. If everyone held onto their bottles until they found a recycling bin, we could save a lot of resources and space. It’s a small action, but it can have a big impact.
So, how often do you keep your old bottles until you find a recycling bin? Let us know in the comments below or connect with me on Twitter at @astVintageSpace. And don’t forget to subscribe for more DNews every day!
Form teams and participate in a relay race where each team member must sort and place plastic bottles into the correct recycling bin. This activity will help you understand the importance of sorting recyclables and the impact of recycling on the environment.
Design a poster that highlights the benefits of recycling plastic bottles. Use facts from the article to educate others about how recycling can save resources and reduce landfill waste. Display your poster in the classroom or school hallway to spread awareness.
Research and create a presentation on the lifecycle of a plastic bottle from production to recycling. Include information on how recycled bottles are turned into new products. Share your findings with the class to help everyone understand the recycling process.
Keep track of how many plastic bottles you recycle in a week. Challenge your classmates to do the same and compare results. Discuss the impact of your collective efforts and brainstorm ways to increase recycling in your community.
Organize a field trip to a local recycling facility to see firsthand how plastic bottles are processed. Observe the steps involved in recycling and learn about the technology used. Reflect on how this experience changes your perspective on recycling.
This episode of DNews is brought to you by the Toyota Prius. Let’s lead the way.
So you’re walking down the street with an empty water bottle in your hand and toss it in a trashcan thinking, “It’s just one bottle. It’s not the end of the world if I don’t recycle it.” Well, that one little bottle can make a big difference.
Hey everyone, Amy here with DNews. Plastics, and specifically plastic bottles, are one of the fastest-growing elements of municipal waste in America. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that as much as 12 percent of all U.S. solid waste is plastic products. That’s a lot, and it’s something we can actually do something about.
Water bottles are typically made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is relatively easy to recycle and reuse. When a PET bottle is recycled, it’s sent to a facility where it is ground down into flakes, cleaned, and then melted into small pellets. Those pellets can then be used to make new bottles—a far more energy and cost-efficient process than making a new bottle from raw materials—or recycled into something different.
When a PET bottle isn’t recycled, it goes to a landfill. And because it’s not biodegradable, it will sit there indefinitely, taking up space and letting material that could be reused just sit there. The average American uses about 167 bottles of water each year. With about 316 million people living in the U.S., that amounts to approximately 52.77 billion plastic water bottles every year. Of those 167 bottles, the average American only recycles 38, resulting in about 12 billion recycled around the country. This means a little more than 40 billion bottles end up in landfills, which is equivalent to more than $1 billion in plastics.
Granted, plastic water bottles are convenient. It’s great to be able to grab a bottle when you’re rushing through an airport and feeling dehydrated, but we need to stop throwing them all away. About 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space is saved for every ton of plastic that is recycled. While we’re not exactly experiencing a landfill shortage, the number of landfills in America has decreased in the last two decades from nearly 8,000 sites to a little over 1,600. However, the average size has increased, meaning they can store more materials.
The recovery of materials, like plastic bottles sent for recycling, has also increased during this time. We can keep that trend going. If every person held on to one bottle a little longer until they found a recycling bin, we could save both resources and space. It’s a small action, but the impact is significant.
So, how often do you all hold onto old bottles until you find a place to recycle them? Let us know in the comments below or you can catch me on Twitter as @astVintageSpace. And don’t forget to subscribe for more DNews every day of the week.
Recycling – The process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. – Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserves natural resources.
Plastic – A synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers that can be molded into shape while soft and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form. – Many everyday items, like water bottles and packaging, are made from plastic, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.
Bottles – Containers with a narrow neck, typically made of glass or plastic, used for storing drinks or other liquids. – It is important to recycle plastic bottles to prevent them from polluting the environment.
Landfill – A site for the disposal of waste materials by burial, which is the oldest form of waste treatment. – Reducing the amount of waste we produce can help decrease the need for landfills.
Energy – The ability to do work, which can be converted from one form to another, such as from solar energy to electrical energy. – Using renewable energy sources like wind and solar can help protect the environment.
Biodegradable – Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, thereby avoiding pollution. – Biodegradable materials break down naturally and are less harmful to the environment.
Resources – Natural materials or substances that can be used by people, such as water, minerals, and forests. – Conserving resources like water and energy is crucial for sustainable living.
Trash – Waste material or unwanted things that are thrown away. – Sorting trash into recyclables and non-recyclables can help reduce environmental impact.
Environment – The natural world, including the land, water, air, plants, and animals, especially as affected by human activity. – Protecting the environment is essential for maintaining biodiversity and human health.
Waste – Unwanted or unusable materials, substances, or by-products. – Reducing waste through recycling and composting can help preserve the environment.
