Paul Bates
The deteriorating nature of the environment has necessitated the introduction of environmental education which is meant to enable children and adults to respond to these environmental problems. Man has been responsible for the environmental degradation which has led to unfavorable aftermath like global warming. Recycling education encourages people to take action towards improving life and protecting the environment by using materials that would otherwise be considered as waste as raw materials. The aim of this article is to analyze the essential benefits of recycling education to society and the environment. Increasing public awareness on how to collect, sort and process substances that can be used as raw materials ensures that the materials do not become waste and ultimately destroy the environment. Following are some of the benefits of recycling education.
Raises Public Awareness on Environmental Issues
According to Michael Jenkins, Recycling and Sustainability expert at ConfidentWriters, recycling education programs increase awareness of the public on the issues affecting the environment and how to address them. People are able to identify some of the habits that contribute to the environment such as improper disposal of non-biodegradable materials such as steel, aluminum, paper, lead, and plastics. They are also made aware of harmful chemicals that are emitted to the natural environment once these substances corrode which leads to pollution. The environment is affected by the accumulated waste from these substances as a result of population increase, lifestyle changes, and new packaging products established by industries.
Recycling Education Has Economic Impact
By teaching the society about the benefits of recycling, industries are able to cut on costs of raw materials. This reduced consumption of raw materials creates employment opportunities at all levels of the industry, as workers are needed for collection, sorting, processing, storage, and marketing of the new products. Additionally, there is a low impact on the environment since unwanted emissions are avoided during manufacturing hence reduced costs on restoring deteriorated environments. When sustainability of the environment is enhanced, government agencies can use resources otherwise meant to restore, reclaim and rehabilitate damaged land to provide social amenities. Production-based raw materials require more energy compared to recycled materials since materials are not produced from scratch.
Provides Further Room for Research and Development
Recycling education provides people with opportunities to further research on environmental care as an effort to contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. Since education is included in various multi-disciplinary studies, students from different courses can develop designs and manufacturing methods that can improve the recycling process. Students, through discursive essays can persuade the audience of numerous ways of adapting to a sustainable way of taking care of the environment by highlighting the problems and potential solutions. This also provides society with the opportunity to innovate other processes that promote the consumption of raw materials.
Recycling Education Changes the Recycling Attitude
People who understand the positive impacts of recycling on the environment have improved attitudes towards taking care of the environment. People develop an environmental-sensitive attitude by participating actively in activities that protect the natural and cultural environments. According to a study conducted by Patrick Williams from Paper-Research regarding recycling education, the level of participation and increased attitudes towards the environment were measured using a questionnaire and the results showed that students projected greater pro-recycling attitudes after the lessons. They were aware of the logical connection between recycling and preserving the natural environment with a majority showing attention to the recycling of papers since it saved trees. Recycling education promotes high levels of concern for the environment and, ultimately, positive behavior towards recycling. It increases the knowledge on how people can develop themselves by developing the environment because they will have safer working conditions, an increased lifespan, and enhanced social interactions through recycling activities.
The article exhaustively outlines the importance of saving the environment to preserve for future generations. Recycling education provides students with the knowledge to reduce waste by using already used materials as raw materials which, ultimately, reduces pollution. The form of education raised public awareness on environmental problems, had a great economic impact, enables people to research further on sustainable options, and changes negative attitudes towards conservation. It is important that people are educated on the impact of human activities on the environment so that they can act sustainably in preserving it.