One of the first terms of sustainability is recycling. But what if we tell you that a historical fraud has just been uncovered that has ecologists repentant? Thousands of people are freaking out about what has just been uncovered, with a series of myths that have just fallen one after another. Luckily, there will always be good news, like this steel bucket that produces 400 liters of water at home.
Recycling, uncovered: the truth about a practice we’ve been doing for years
Recycling has become a regular practice in our lives. Most of us separate our waste in the hope that these materials will have a second life, thus contributing to the sustainability of the planet, starting with our homes and cities.
Do you remember when the three garbage cans were first introduced? It was in the early 2000s, when we were changing the peseta for the euro. However, we are still not 100% committed, as shown by the very high rates in countries such as Finland and Sweden.
In recent years, we have even been paid for recycling – have you ever seen machines that give you money for carrying your plastic bottles? However, there are still things that are going wrong, and we are going to unveil some of them for you: rather, we are going to uncover myths that we have always believed.
3 myths about recycling: environmentalists pull the wool over our eyes and unveil the whole thing
We want to put the spotlight on issues that have always raised controversy and that, once and for all, we are going to demolish. It should be noted, however, that in no case are we throwing out this necessary practice, we will always defend it, although with the greatest knowledge on the part of our readers.
Myth No. 1: Everything that is recycled is reused
Many people believe that everything that is recycled ends up being reused in new products. However, the reality is quite different. The truth is that a large part of the materials that are recycled do not end up being reused again (except for glass, which is 99% recovered).
There are several factors that cause this. First, not all recycled materials are of good quality. Elements such as plastics or paper that are dirty or in poor condition are not suitable for creating new products. In addition, it is sometimes cheaper for companies to use virgin raw materials instead of recycled material.
Myth #2: Recycling always reduces the carbon footprint
The recycling process itself requires energy and generates emissions. Collecting, sorting and processing recyclable materials consumes fossil fuels. The trucks that collect recyclables emit CO2, as does the machinery used to process them.
In addition, in many cases recycled materials must be transported long distances to be processed. This adds further emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. For example, much of the plastic recycled in the U.S. is shipped to China.
Myth #3: Recycling minimizes the use of natural resources
One of the most widespread myths about recycling is that it helps save natural resources by reusing materials instead of extracting new raw materials. However, the reality is more complex than one might think at first.
While it is true that in some cases recycling saves resources, in many other cases recycling consumes more energy and emits more greenhouse gases than producing with new materials. This is because the processes of collecting, sorting and transforming waste are costly.
Again, it is clear that recycling will always raise questions, not because of its efficiency, but because of the way we do it. Either way, you will always have promising options ahead to save resources and energy at home, such as this electrostatic faucet that you can put in your home to minimize water consumption. Isn’t it the best time to do it?