2008 Woodie Awards
Innovative Environmentalism Around the World
STAFF
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: News/Features
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Can the U.S. encourage its citizens to be more green? Yes, but only with tighter governmental regulations. The habit of recycling is not one that people tend to adopt without the convenience of widespread programs and the pressure of government encouragement. Countries around the world have successfully initiated significant recycling programs to cut down on landfills and paper waste. Orbis takes a quick look at global recycling to see how we could possibly model similar programs in our own country - or at least on our own campus.
United States
The United States recycles around 30 percent of its waste, with many corporations and households participating in recycling efforts. While the U.S. is doing much better than many other nations, however, we could still do much better, particularly in municipal efforts. In January, the Government Accountability Office released a report entitled "Additional Efforts Could Increase Municipal Recycling", which noted that recycling rates have barely increased since the year 2000 and offered several suggestions to decrease waste. These included making recycling more convenient, offering financial incentives for recycling and increasing public education and outreach.
Japan
In response to the increasingly limited land available on the island nation, as well as concerns of air pollution, Japan has implemented strict regulations on trash disposal.
Dump trucks equipped with loudspeakers make their rounds on a daily basis, picking up plastic, metal, glass and paper depending on the day. Waste is categorized as burnable, nonburnable and recyclable, and trash won't get picked up unless it has been properly sorted. Don't even think about tossing out that Coke bottle until you peel off the label, rinse the bottle, take off the cap and separate each item into a different collection pile. In 2001, a new law called for manufacturers to recycle all major appliances like televisions and refrigerators, with the long-term plan of making Japan a "closed loop" economy with zero waste initiatives. Consumer ownership of their city's cleanliness is the driving force of these programs. In extreme cases, zealous neighbors have been known to rifle through others' garbage to ensure it is properly sorted.
United States
The United States recycles around 30 percent of its waste, with many corporations and households participating in recycling efforts. While the U.S. is doing much better than many other nations, however, we could still do much better, particularly in municipal efforts. In January, the Government Accountability Office released a report entitled "Additional Efforts Could Increase Municipal Recycling", which noted that recycling rates have barely increased since the year 2000 and offered several suggestions to decrease waste. These included making recycling more convenient, offering financial incentives for recycling and increasing public education and outreach.
Japan
In response to the increasingly limited land available on the island nation, as well as concerns of air pollution, Japan has implemented strict regulations on trash disposal.
Dump trucks equipped with loudspeakers make their rounds on a daily basis, picking up plastic, metal, glass and paper depending on the day. Waste is categorized as burnable, nonburnable and recyclable, and trash won't get picked up unless it has been properly sorted. Don't even think about tossing out that Coke bottle until you peel off the label, rinse the bottle, take off the cap and separate each item into a different collection pile. In 2001, a new law called for manufacturers to recycle all major appliances like televisions and refrigerators, with the long-term plan of making Japan a "closed loop" economy with zero waste initiatives. Consumer ownership of their city's cleanliness is the driving force of these programs. In extreme cases, zealous neighbors have been known to rifle through others' garbage to ensure it is properly sorted.
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