Class is staring in a few minutes, and between the late alarm and the papers flying throughout the air, standing in line at the cafeteria feels like trying to run in tar. Finally, I purchase a plastic water bottle and food on a paper plate and bolt to class. Sound familiar? Too easily I find myself in a position where I put convenience and my own instant comfort over my responsibility to the environment. There are multiple reusable (and cute) water bottles in my dorm and somehow I manage to forget to fill one up at least twice in a school week. There are so many easy excuses to print a draft multiple times without keeping in mind the amount of pages or the ability to print on multiple pages on one sheet. Here are some great reasons to be more aware of recycling and ideally waste minimization.
1. Responsible and Unselfish Citizenship
Having access to so many items that can only be used once and then thrown away does not mean that we should choose them. Each person has certain level of commitment to helping keep the planet healthy for the next generation. Honestly speaking, we should be actively trying to make the world a little bit better because being here on this planet at this point in history means we are the only people who can. The people in the past already contributed, and the people in the future will look towards us as an example of either what or what not to do.
2. Save Money
Investing in recyclable item means saving money, which is a big deal for a college student. A reusable water bottle can help to keep your water colder and unlike plastic bottles, which are unhealthy to refill. Some areas even charge for bags, so bringing in your own bag to stores can help you save in the long run because this price difference is less obvious, but adds up over time.
3. Recycling Can Literally Earn You Money
OK, if you aren’t sold on
recycling just by saving money… what if I told you that it can earn you money?
Bottles and cans can be turned into specific recycling stations and depending
on the state you live in the United States you can receive a fair amount of
money just collecting and turning in what you have used in a month.
Type into Google: "ways to earn money from recycling." Some of the ideas are ridiculously simple and it really depends on how comfortable you are when it comes to your creativity.4. It Can Be More Time Effective
When you already have sustainable items like a reusable water bottle, then of course you can save time by skipping the shopping trip to the supermarket and go directly to wherever you were probably running late in the first place.
5. Polar Bears
The most important reason that recycling deserves more attention is because it raises awareness about our impact on our planet as an overall species. Sure, one of us leaving on a heater or light in a room won’t end the planet as we know it, but anyone who ever played on a team knows how much stronger any effort is in a group. Making an active and collective change to help the environment through the reduction of waste, recycling and awareness of reusing items can help our friend the polar bear.
