Why People Do Not Recycle and the Reasons Why They Should

Most people believe that recycling is the right thing to do. While this is true, there are also a fair number of people who do not recycle. Learn the top five reasons why people do not recycle and the top five reasons why everyone should.

Reasons some People do not recycle

1. Inconvenience

Claims that recycling is inconvenient seem to be the top reason why some people do not recycle. It does take effort to recycle items. For instance, cans have to be rinsed clean and labels should be removed before recycling and some people just feel that this is a lot of trouble and they cannot be bothered.

2. Lack of Space

Lack of space is another top reason that people choose not to recycle. There are several different styles of recycle bins available or you can even make your own if space is an issue. Although trash and recycle bins are an eyesore, this really is not a good enough reason not to recycle.

3. There is nothing in it for me

Some people do not recycle because they feel they should be paid for it since it does take some work. In some countries, people are actually fined if they do not recycle while other areas pay for can and bottle recycling. Still, other areas have no incentives or penalties for those people who do not recycle.

4. It does not make a Difference

Some people just believe that there really is no problem. They do not think that landfills are overflowing or that natural resources are becoming depleted. Some people are not convinced that the climate changes and global warming are real. These misinformed people do not recycle.

5. It is too hard to recycle

There are so many different facets to recycling that it is hard to decipher what goes where. It is too hard to remember what kinds of plastic and  what kinds of paper can be recycled. This is not a valid reason not to recycle these materials. We’d like to hear from appliedsurveys.com take our survey.

Pros of Recycling

1. Energy Savings

Since the manufacturer does not have to produce something new from natural resources, recycling saves energy. These energy savings will keep costs down.

2. Reduces the amount of trash in landfills

By recycling, we are reducing the need to create more landfills for garbage.

3. Preserves Wildlife

Recycling reduces the need to destroy animal habitats. If everyone would just recycle paper, we could save millions of trees each year.

4. Good for the Economy

Purchasing products made from recycled good creates a greater demand for these types recycled goods. These products use less energy and less water to produce and create less pollution.

5. Good for the Climate

When we recycle, we produce less carbon. This reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are released into the environment.

Recycling Facts

  • Fewer than 10 percent of businesses and 35 percent of households in the United States recycle.
  • More than 75 percent of our waste products are recyclable but only approximately 30 percent actually gets recycled.
  • Americans throw away 25 million plastic bottles each hour
  • If everyone in America recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, 25 million trees would be saved annually.
  • Recycling 100 aluminum cans would save enough energy to light a room for two weeks.

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