Recycling is an important part of preserving the environment for future generations. It helps keep our communities clean, conserves materials, saves energy, and reduces garbage in landfills.
Keeping the communities we live clean is important. Not only does it look nice, but it can save energy, money, and resources. By recycling, we are using old and waste products that are no longer wanted or needed, and converting them to new products. Less products in circulation means less energy and resources are being used to produce new products, and less money is being spent to purchase new items.
Recycling starts with you. Think about the things you buy. Are you only buying things you need? When you go to buy something, what do you do with the leftover packaging? If its paper or cardboard, are you recycling it? When you’re at the store, do you ask for paper bags instead of plastic? It might seem like a small thing, but did you know that every year plastic alone generates up to 28% of the volume of trash in the world? It’s estimated that somewhere between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
Your contribution to recycling in your community can be as big as you want it to be – every little bit helps. Whether you decide to switch to paper bags over plastic, or start separating your family’s recycling into separate bins, or start a full-fledged recycling program in your area – it all helps preserve Indian Country for the future.
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