Recycling is not everyone's pastime, not everyone's idea, not everyone's concern, and not everyone's business today! Yet, it is not hard, and is one of the best ways everyone can do something positive for the environment.
The extent of the NEED for recycling is much, much higher is developed countries and densely-populated developing countries. Recycling programs are racing against the issue of waste pollution, landfill disposals, environmental degradation, and depletion of the earth's resources.
Is everyone doing their part? Is everyone concern? Is recycling a priority in waste management? Should not we recycle?
In today's scenario, the significance of recycling is rising as more people realise the cause of the great concern that earth is being depleted from its natural resources, and adopting recycling methods to sustain a healthy balance in the ecological system.
Recycling simply is all about the process of making the used materials suitable for further use, and additionally reduces the demand on our natural resources, and also saves valuable landfill spaces.
I recycle........ that is my idea, my concern and my agenda. I recycle but at a very small-scale as my contribution to a greater issue. My concern relates on the extent that most countries failing drastically to control waste disposal and lacking recycling facilities for recyclable materials to reduce waste disposal at landfill sites, and the pollution of our environment and marine ecology. My agenda is on how I can make a positive impact in an 'not-too-convincing' community where my project can be easily sabotaged.
You recycle...... doing your part and contribution to the greater issue. When two or more involve or engage themselves in the recycling activites, it opens up the interest for more people to join and participate. These activities lead to a positive approach to expand into a bigger area, thus the involvement of the community at large. You ensure that my project has a bigger meaning to the overall cleanliness of the area and lesser environmental impacts, and that it can not be sabotaged.
We recycle.......it now has become a public concern and the agenda is made clear that there are greater benefits to recycling. It offers monetary benefits, employment opportunities, community cooperation and participation, general cleanliness around homes, streets and the community. More usage of reusable materials, and less wastage disposal in landfills and less pollution to the environment. My project survives.
In Port Moresby, various recycling activities take place - especially scrap metal, aluminum cans, and beer bottles which are sold to recycling industries and the brewery. PET bottles are re-used as water containers, and oil containers. People re-filled them with water, cordial mix, juice mix or spirit mix, or engine oil for sale.
There has been legislated regulations for banning the plastic bags - however the enforcement mechanism has never acted on it. The idea was to use 'recyclable paper bags' or the traditional 'bilums', but cost was a factor apart from high production level to cater for the demand since plastic bags produce just that.
My plan is progressing but at almost a static pace........ I have linked up with the NCDC - the authority responsible for the City of Port Moresby, and some individuals in various communities, BUT to practically do such a project has some ethical procedures to follow, and the willingness of 'contacts' to gauge information at various community levels.
For your acquaintance, visit my blog site http://ghughie.blogspot.com/
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5 comments:
Recycling is a greater issue throughout the world. Although regulated in the developing countries, the developing countries seem to fail to recognise its importance and significance.
Port Moresby has its fair share, however the scale is not to the rate in other developed or developing countries. The waste disposal - landfill sites - are large enough, however the waste material content is not too much as witnessed in other cities in the developing world. Port Moresby has land issues, however large land tracts remain undeveloped, whether in State-owned or under customary tenure.
Recycling is not much an issue, but it would be good to initiate awareness of the importance and significance, and how waste pollutes and destroy the ecological system.
George, you passion for recycling is inspiring my friend and i agree with much you have said. I feel the biggest issue to overcome though is to re-educate the public to develop a habit of recycling. For too long, our generation, or parents and their parents have all seen waste as something disposable - you throw it away after you've finished with it. As you mentioned, most everything can be recycled, but the process and or knowledge to recycle that material is too difficult - its easier just to throw it away - out of site - out of mind. I think recycling schemes must be made compulsory and policy must be implemented. This may include taxing or charging households or industry for the amount of waste they produce, and even implementing policy on plastic packaging (its ridiculous that we open a packet of biscuits for instance: there is a plastic wrapper around the box; a cardboard box; plastic packaging splitting the box contents into 3 parts; then each individual biscuit is wrapped in ore plastic. This is incredible irresponsible by industry) on sold goods. Thats my thoughts anyway!
Comments on Discussion Board by Sitika on Thursday 13 May 2010 at 9:18:52 AM EST.
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Wow George, great work with the blog. I wish mine is like yours. I am stuck with lots of photos and script that I'm yet to put up. Anyway I'm too bogged down with major assignments from other courses I'm yet to put in hours on the blog something I am still trying to warm out to. I'm still persevering and plan to concentrate on the blog next week when SOCY7120 & SWSP7103 assignments are out of the way respectively.
Anyway on the important issue of recycling, I was attracted to your comments by the title itself, the "we" element. I was at a symposium for one of my courses SWSP7103 a few weeks ago where students shared on their author activists. I shared on Joanna Macy who is a spiritualist (buddhist) and environmentalist and her book titled "Work That Reconnects" and I'm citing here a little bit of what I said - "Work That Reconnects guides us to look deeper into ourselves and find truth in the fact that we are all in this together, and collectively we must find ways to take remedial action for the environmental problems we ourselves created. What is affecting the environment is not separate from us, we caused it and now we must collectively heal it! And the dawning of this inner realisation through seeing the external world with new eyes should compel us to play an active and collective role in sustaining our environment for as long as we shall live." And this includes recycling in a big way. I think often times we think the problem is too big and that our small effort cannot really count towards making an impact when in fact it really does. For example if we start at home each day by ensuring we put the correct types of waste into the yellow bin for recycleables and the rest in the black bins, it's a good start. And if we start with ourselves first in changing our attitudes and inner values in perceiving our fellow humans as very precious "holons" part of the "whole" then a small act of picking up rubbish and putting it in the bin is not a big issue at all. And in the scenario case of "Maganda" for PLAN7612 group assignment, it's amazing how "wastes" can be turned to profit and useful commodities.
Well done George, keep flying the flag promoting recycling as a profitable alternative.
Lukim u bihain.
Sitika
Comments on Discussion Board by Wallis on Saturday 15 May 2010 at 1:18:49 PM EST
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Wow!!! George,
Your blog effort is impressive... some of us are not even anywhere near to what you have done so far. I am also juggling with assignments of other courses that are due from next week and onwards and perhaps will work on mine at the end of next week.
Recycling like you have truthfully observed is everyone's business in order to protect our natural environment for the future of our children from man made destructions.
As you have clearly reflected with your pics, Port Moresby, as a growing city in a developing nation critically needs such initiatives. You have a massive and a challenging task ahead of you if you are planning to continue this back home. Initiating such an idea like yours and generating efforts to sensitise relevant authorities, as well as decision making procceses for them to understand its usefulness and support is one thing but trying to change the attitudes of the general public to doing the right thing is another. The difficult part would be to market your strategies to the relevant decision makers but to a larger extent, changing attitudes is even more difficult so I wish you good luck and will be a follower ongoing.... as I am also interested in being part of the group back home.
Well Done!!! might come around seeking your help in blogging so you could show me few techniques as I am stuck here terribly...
TQs
Wallis
that would prevent the world from the entity .....thank you http://www.green4care.com
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