Propose a National Recycling Act Now!
- by: Tom Hilgartner
- recipient: The President and Congress
In a time of unprecidented challenges to our world and the environment, it is crucial that we take immediate and powerful steps to reduce the wasteful practices of the past. Not only are we wasting a huge amount of reusable and recyclable materials, but we are also wasting mind-boggling amounts of energy required to replace, reproduce, and reprocess these "throw-away" resources. Countless plastic containers, for example single-use water bottles, are disposed of annually despite that plastics are required to be marked as recyclable for ease of sorting. Nevermind that there is no place to actually recycle most of these "recyclable" plastics in most states--not because there is no need for more of these materials, but because there has been no political will to create the infrastructure of a sustainable recycling effort nationally.
And it's not just plastics. Paper, glass, metals, and even compostable materials are also being buried in massive landfills with no effort made to reclaim them. America's landfill space is at a premium, yet we continue to fill them with materials which we need, and which in some cases (aluminum, for example) are of national strategic importance. Yes, some things are trash. Yet, much of what passes for trash in the United States of America is anything but trash--the creation of a National Recycling Act could save billions of dollars worth of recyclable paper, glass, plastic, compostables, and metals, as well as the energy it takes to locate, procure, refine, and process them. Our national security needs will be better met, since we won't be beholden to other nations for their natural resources; we will have abundant amounts of these materials in our nation's recycling centers. And I haven't even gotten to the fact that thousands of good, long-term, sustainable well-paying jobs will be created. In short, a National Recycling Act is needed NOW for many reasons:
* Environmentally responsible stewardship of our natural resources.
* Sound ecological sense as we strive to protect wildlife and habitat areas.
* Reduce the crushing demands on our national landfill system.
* Secure our national interests by reducing our reliance on resources from foreign nations.
* Create literally a new sector of our economy, and the jobs that will come along with it.
Are there questions that need to be answered to enact a National Recycling Act? Of course! Are there obstacles which would need to be overcome for a National Recycling Act to work effectively? Absolutely! Can we afford to "wait and see" if some political leader will take up this banner without our insistant help? Absolutely not! We need--we demand--a National Recycling Act be proposed NOW, and then passed in timely fashion! If you agree, please sign this petition and then ask your friends to sign it, too! Thanks!
Dear (Decision Maker)
We urge you to propose and support a National Recycling Act now!
In a time of unprecidented challenges to our world and the environment, it is crucial that we take immediate and powerful steps to reduce the wasteful practices of the past. Not only are we wasting a huge amount of reusable and recyclable materials, but we are also wasting mind-boggling amounts of energy required to replace, reproduce, and reprocess these "throw-away" resources.
Countless plastic containers, for example single-use water bottles, are disposed of annually despite that plastics are required to be marked as recyclable for ease of sorting. Yet, there is no place to actually recycle most of these recyclable plastics in most states--not because there is no need for more of these materials, but because there has been no political will to create the infrastructure of a sustainable recycling effort nationally.
We urge you to step up and become that political force!
You see, it's not just plastics. Paper, glass, metals, and even compostable materials are also being buried in massive landfills with no coordinated effort made to reclaim them. America's landfill space is at a premium, yet we continue to fill them with materials which we need, and which in some cases (aluminum, for example) are of national strategic importance.
Yes, some things are trash. Yet, much of what passes for trash in the United States of America is anything but trash--the creation of a National Recycling Act could save billions of dollars worth of recyclable paper, glass, plastic, compostables, and metals, as well as the energy it takes to locate, procure, refine, and process them.
Our national security needs will be better met, since we won't be beholden to other nations for their natural resources; we will have abundant amounts of these materials in our nation's recycling centers. And I haven't even gotten to the fact that thousands of good, long-term, sustainable well-paying jobs will be created.
In short, a National Recycling Act is needed NOW for many reasons:
* Environmentally responsible stewardship of our natural resources.
* Sound ecological sense as we strive to protect wildlife and habitat areas.
* Reduce the crushing demands on our national landfill system.
* Secure our national interests by reducing our reliance on resources from foreign nations.
* Create literally a new sector of our economy, and the jobs that will come along with it.
Are there questions that need to be answered to enact a National Recycling Act? Of course! Are there obstacles which would need to be overcome for a National Recycling Act to work effectively? Absolutely!
We know it won't be easy, but it is necessary--not just "someday", but NOW! And if you take up this challenge, we will have your back. We respectfully request that you propose, champion, and support a National Recycling Act NOW, and then passed in timely fashion!
Thank you very much!
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