US Waste Management: Pros & Cons of Recycling & Landfills - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Bratcher (2017), there is approximately 34% of the recycling rate in the United States. That also contributes to a similar 164 million tonnes of the used materials in the landfills. However, the control and management of waste vary from country to the other terms of environmental concerns, affordability, recycling assessment measures, and the conveniences. The two main waste management criteria also vary based on their impotence (Logan, 2017). The essay is discussing the pros and cons, the identification of suitable measures, and the preferable measure.

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Pros of Recycling

Recycling is a significant approach to the conservation of natural resources. For instance, placing plastic bags in a recycling bin creates an opportunity for the used products for the remanufacturing process (Josephson, 2018). It also prevents the backlog of the landfills hence the conservation of natural resources like trees, minerals, and water. Recycling of pieces of paper is also essential in the conservation trees, which eventually help increase rainfall or water level.

Another significant role in recycling is the reduction of air pollution and the conservation of energy. The manufacturing and processing of materials such as glasses can substantially reduce air pollution by approximately 20% and aluminum by 95% (Bratcher, 2017). In terms of saving energy, the manufacturing of used materials is reliably cheaper than the use of new articles in the industry.

Cons of Recycling

One of the significant disadvantages of recycling is the cost of the operation process. According to Josephson (2018), most countries and states find it costly to recycle waste materials and use other disposal measures as landfills. The material being recycled determines the percentage cost of the recycling process. That is why most countries cannot recover their waste products but dispose of them through burning.

Secondly, recycling is equally a measure of pollution in the environment. Some critics defy the agreement of the benefit of recycling as it consumes and energy and eventually pollutes the environment (Josephson, 2018). For instance, relying on electronic wastes is majorly transferred to third world countries at cheaper costs. The sorting process may lead to leaching of these metals in the water or the grounds of the recycling process, which eventually destroys the environment.

Pros and Cons of Landfills

The main advantage of using the landfills as the environment conservation agent is that it is less costly. It takes a limited cost to deploy the use of discharge compared to the value of the recycling method. The challenge of using landfills is the potential environmental pollution, specifically air pollutions. The waste materials at the landfills can produce the gas of methane and other toxic gases that are participating in polluting the air.

Justification

From the discussion, it critical to admit that recycling poses a substantial benefit as compared to the use of landfills. The landfill is applicable in getting rid of items that undisputable by other means of waste disposal. The method is reliable in some of the areas with no conditions of a higher level of groundwater or floods (Antonangeli, 2018). One the other hand, the recycling method is preferable in most circumstances as it provides a second chance of the use of wasted materials. Irrespective of its cost, it is the best method conserving the environment that most countries should embrace (Wieman, 2011). While comparing to the implication of landfills, recalling has more added advantages, including the reduction of cost and energy.

References

Antonangeli, T (2018) Different Methods of Waste Disposal. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/recycling-vs-landfills-incinerators-23884.html

Bratcher, R (2017). Recycling Vs. Landfills or Incinerators. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/recycling-vs-landfills-incinerators-23884.html

Josephson, A (2018) The Pros and Cons of Recycling. Retrieved from https://smartasset.com/insights/the-pros-and-cons-of-recycling

Logan, C (2017). How Does Recycling Paper Affect the Environment? Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/recycling-vs-landfills-incinerators-23884.html

Wieman, B (2011). Recycling Vs. Landfills or Incinerators. Retrieved from https://homeguides.sfgate.com/recycling-vs-landfills-incinerators-79225.html