For too long, we have been polluting our world with trash and landfills. If we are going to turn the tides and start making the Earth a healthier place, we all need to get on board with recycling programs. Recycling does much more than just reduce landfills and fight pollution; it also creates jobs, saves us money and puts our creativity to work. Recycling plants and facilities already employee a considerable number of people, but with additional recycling added in ever community, that number could double within the next decade. Recycling more of our daily waste will not necessarily affect employment numbers of city trash departments, since all refuse will still need to be picked up.
You can save a lot of money be recycling. Instead of throwing out soda bottles and cans, check for deposit refunds on each. Many states give you back up to ten cents for each bottle or can, and that can really add up quickly. You can also save money by using fabric or cloth bags at the grocery store instead of the paper or plastic. The fewer bags your grocer has to purchase and stock, the less they need to raise their retail prices in order to cover expenses and make the necessary profit.
Those who are raising or work with young children probably already know the value of recycling. Old dishcloths become doll clothing, toilet paper and paper towel tubes become holiday crafts, and soda, bleach, and laundry detergent bottles become bird feeders, all with just a little work and ingenuity. This does more than teach kids how to make cardboard crafts, it also teaches them the value of using what they have and not throwing valuable items to waste. These types of actions will go far to helping us heal the Earth and create a brighter future for the generations to come.