Recycling movement of the 1970s
The Recycling Movement of the 1970s emerged in response to growing environmental concerns regarding waste disposal in the United States. During this period, landfills were reaching capacity, and the search for new landfill sites became increasingly difficult. The movement encouraged individuals to recycle materials such as glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper as a means to mitigate these issues. Successful recycling programs required a combination of community involvement and municipal support, with evidence showing that home-based recycling initiatives were more effective than drop-off centers.
Composting also gained popularity, allowing organic waste to be transformed into useful compost for agriculture and landscaping. The movement's impact included significant savings in money, energy, and raw materials, as well as a reduction in pollution and greater public awareness of waste management responsibilities. By 2000, recycling rates had improved, with communities implementing various programs to facilitate the sorting and collection of recyclables. The legacy of the 1970s recycling movement set the stage for ongoing efforts to increase recycling participation and develop sustainable waste management practices in subsequent decades.
Recycling movement of the 1970s
Removal of recoverable items from waste for reuse by cleaning, melting, or reprocessing into new products
Recycling programs began to attract national attention during the 1970’s as a result of the environmental awareness initiated by the first Earth Day, the realization that Americans generated excessive and unnecessary waste, and the dawning comprehension that landfills were becoming filled to capacity.
Disposing of garbage has historically been a serious environmental issue, and public attention was finally focused on the problem in the United States during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Landfills were becoming filled to capacity, while locating new sites was becoming increasingly problematic. The environmental movement asked Americans to consider the impact of humans on nature and other animals. Encouraging consumers to recycle reusuable materials became a way of addressing these concerns.
Programs and Their Benefits
Recyclable materials include glass, plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, paper, cardboard, and lawn waste. The recycling movement discovered that successful programs had to combine community involvement with municipal support. Community members had to be committed to separating trash into appropriate categories, and the local government had to provide haulers with separate compartments for each material. It was found that recycling programs relying on homeowners to drop off recyclables typically had only minimal participation, while home-based programs had a considerable impact on the waste stream. At a recycling center, materials are compacted and sold to manufacturers to construct new products. A successful recycling program also requires a market for the reclaimed materials; in 1970, however, few U.S. paper mills were equipped to produce recycled paper from old newspapers.
Activists discovered that recycling not only reduces municipal solid waste but also is energy efficient and economical. Aluminum cans are 20 percent cheaper to recycle than to manufacture and require only 5 percent of the energy needed to produce a can from raw materials. Reusing old glass costs considerably less than forming it from new material. Recycling was also found to be less expensive than sending garbage to landfills, because landfills require transporting refuse over greater distances and each truck must pay a tipping fee based on the weight of the garbage. Substances to be recycled are typically transported fewer miles and generate income through selling of the reclaimed materials.
Composting was another form of recycling that first gained popularity in the 1970’s. About 20 percent of municipal waste is organic kitchen and yard waste that can be shredded and arranged in piles for decomposition. The result is compost, which is useful for agriculture and landscaping.
Impact
The effects of the recycling movement have been clear: Recycling saves money, energy, raw materials, and land space; reduces pollution; and encourages individual awareness and responsibility for the refuse produced.
Subsequent Events
Since the 1970’s, demand for recycled materials has been climbing, occasionally even passing the available supply, as a result of environment concerns, a shortage of landfill space, and increased demand for recycled products. By 2000, the United States was recovering about 30 percent of its waste stream, and several states had set goals of 50 percent. At that time, 50 percent of aluminum cans were being recycled (up from 15 percent in the early 1970’s), as well as 61 percent of glass bottles and 40 percent of plastic soft drink containers. Unreused glass containers were being melted to produce new containers at a rate of 24 percent in 2000, while recycled plastic containers were converted into fiberfill stuffing for pillows, sleeping bags, carpets, and automobile seats. Although plastics account for 8 percent of solid waste, third behind paper and yard clippings, only 6 percent were being recovered in 2000. However, 30 percent of paper waste (40 percent of the waste stream) was being recycled to paper products or insulation, and yard trimmings had achieved an impressive 45 percent recovery rate.
A variety of community programs to encourage recycling have emerged since the 1970’s. Some communities require residents to sort their recyclable materials into color-coded containers for glass, metals, plastic, and paper products. Many municipalities forbid yard trimmings in the waste stream.
Bibliography
Anderson, Bruce N., ed. Ecologue: The Environmental Catalogue and Consumer’s Guide for a Safe Earth. New York: Prentice Hall, 1990. A detailed catalog for making responsible environmental choices and helping solve the trash problem. Covers how to reduce the waste stream through careful selection of which products are purchased and how to maximize the recycling of refuse and worn-out property.
Cointreau, Sandra. Recycling from Municipal Refuse. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 1984. Well-documented discussion of the means to minimize waste, create more durable goods, and recycle what cannot be retained.
De Graff, John, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor. Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2002. Explores the roots of the U.S. garbage disposal problem by identifying the underlying cause—the relentless pursuit of more material goods, more convenience, and resistance to the inconveniences imposed by recycling.
Gordon, Deborah. Steering a New Course. Cambridge, Mass.: Union of Concerned Scientists, 1991. Helps consumers have a less detrimental environmental impact through choices about which items are purchased, how they are used, and the means by which they can be recycled.
Narr, Jon. Design for a Livable Planet: How You Can Help Clean Up the Environment. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Candidly details the causes and effects of environmental problems and offers practical solutions.