[January Thematic Report] Resource Recyclingby Jayden Kim | 31-01-2023 15:18 |
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 Photo credits: World Economic Forum According to the World Economic Forum, in 2021, out of the 40 million tons of plastic waste that was produced in the US, only "5% to 6%- or about 2 million tons- was recycled" (Wakefield 2022). As you can see, the United States have been as efficient or successful in recycle waste that they produce compared to how economically developed they are. 38 million tons produced in 2021 were not disposed and were not reused for better purposes. The main problem with the United States is that these recyclable materials are actually not enforced by the Federal Government, but by private companies, which means that it is not enforced, nor well developed as it should be if the government was in charge (EPA). There is not a single part of the recycling that is enforced or controlled by the government. Recycling waste is a very productive way of reusing the waste we produce. Instead of disposing the waste, we can reuse for important purposes and not pollute the waters or land that we dispose it to. Although this number from 2021 is increasing slowly, there is still little to no improvements of how to recycle. Countries such as China and South Korea have made great improvements to their recycling industry, and countries like Saudi Arabia have even made recreation areas like Stadiums out of recycled materials. As a representative of the US, I hope the US aspires to reduce their production of plastics and waste and moreover produce more recycled materials so that we not affect and harm the environment more and more.
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