Recycling
Recycling has been around since the first humans, probably not what you think of recycling today but more of a literal definition. The word recycle means to convert (something) into a reusable material. In our case that “something” is waste. Waste has always been around but has not always had the same attention paid to it as today. Today recycling waste has become much more important and necessary. While the number of landfills has dropped since 1998, the size of the existing landfills has increased. For example, since 1957 the Puente hills Landfill, the largest landfill in America, has actually risen over 150 meters in the air just because of solid waste! This can be resolved but only one way, recycle.

Importance
From the water we drink to the trees we use to build our houses, we get everything from nature. For years we’ve taken and not given back. We now see the effects of years of taking for nature and we have to change. We can’t continue to just take and not give back because someday, there will be nothing to take. Our forests will be gone, the water won’t be drinkable and our land will be full of waste. By recycling, we make it easier on nature, we use less, and preserve for future generations. Recycling is a responsible way of living in our world today. Earth is our home and we all have an obligation to preserve as much of it as we can. The more self-sufficient we are, the better humanity and the earth are as a whole. Coming from transcendentalist, I know that by recycling we are respecting nature and all of its beauty and in turn we are respecting one another and simplifying life.

Why we should get involved?
Recycling is the one way Americans can lessen the intake of vital resources from nature. It takes 24 trees to produce about a ton of paper and that equates to about 177,778 sheets of paper. In a single day about 104,674,217 sheets of paper are produced and that equals to 14,131 trees being chopped down. In a year that’s 5,143,685 trees but by recycling we can save about 17 trees per ton. Just choosing to recycle paper will save over 70% more trees. These numbers should motivate everyone to recycle and save the beauty of nature.

How to get involved
Getting involved is probably one of the easiest things to do when it comes to recycling. Realistically, the hardest part about the process to recycle is making the conscious decision to throw your paper, plastic, or aluminum in the specified bin and remembering to put it out by your curb on Fridays. In Georgia the bin full of recyclables is placed on the curb and the recycling truck comes to pick up your recyclables. Recycling the precious reusable materials is the best way to conserve the delicate balance of nature. Henry David Thoreau was able to reuse and recycle for two whole years living in a cabin being self-sufficient. I am not asking you to go live self-sufficient rather to take a few minutes out of your day to just recycle and give back to nature.