Introduction
The world is a place for everyone and everything to live comfortably. In order to fulfill this comfort that we are supposed to have, we have to keep a healthy environment. Everything that everyone does affects the environment, in good and bad ways. There are things that go unnoticed in everyday life that needs to be looked at more seriously in order to improve the environment. Recognizing and correcting the problem and promoting the positive aspects will ultimately improve the environment. In order to maintain a healthy environment, society must become aware of how day-to-day activities impact the environment and they also need to be ready to approach and change such lifestyles. So how can we, as individuals, improve the environment?
Why
When talking about environment related issues, most people just don’t care; they are only doing enough to get by for themselves. The only concerns they have are paying their bills on time, taking care of their family, keeping their job, and being happy. People are contemplating the fact that they are just one person, and the changes they make won’t make a difference so why should it matter. (Savage) If this mind set of people changes then that one person will turn it to hundreds and thousands of people and differences in the environment will start to be seen. There are multiple different reasons on why you should care about the environment and what impacts it. Approximately 40% of deaths globally are cause by pollution, and the number of humans that are diagnosed with diseases from pollution are increasing. The more we are polluting our air, water, and soil, and degrading our environment the more the population is hurting. (Cornell)
This chart shows deaths due to cardiovascular disease.

This chart shows deaths attributable to solid fuel use.

Where do pollutants come from?

A clean environment is fundamental to living healthy. The more pollution that gets emitted into the air and water, the more harmful toxins will be exposed to the population. Air and water pollution can cause a numerous kinds of cancers and diseases that can be fatal. Air and water are basic essential needs for everyone so ultimate protection of these should be something that everyone wants to strive for. Although the immediate effects of protecting the environment may not be seen automatically or even in our lifetime, your great-great-great grandchildren will appreciate it. The future generations will hopefully learn about the past environment issues and they will see what efforts were put into protecting the environment. (EcoAdmirer) This is our home after all, and if we want our future generations to live healthy, we must take precautions to protecting out environment.

Background This concern for the environment has been around forever. There have been numerous myths that the problems in our environment started from media. The starting factor in that statement was from Rachel Carson’s book, “Silent Spring.” This book was about DDT and how it had been entering the food stream and effecting animals, humans, and crops. The myths that followed were about how these issues in the environment were just responses to changes in science and technology and that they were not serious trends. (Environmental History Research) Research through history then indicated that this issue of the environment started way before the sixties, when Rachel Carson’s book was written. The very first environmental issue was noticed in 1775 when it was observed that cancer could be caused from being exposed to the soot of chimney sweeps. The first book on record of the destruction of modern life is “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau. In 1851, after Thoreau’s book had success, he started lectures and teaching people about modern life and said that, “in Wildness is the preservation of the World.” From then on there were parks and forests opened and new laws and acts placed that would help in preserving them. Along with the upcoming of new parks, there was an increase in animal life. With this animal life came new laws on protecting different animal nesting sites and laws limiting the destruction the animal population. (Wildglobe) A big step in environmental improvement was the building of the Hoover Dam, or the Boulder Canyon project, in 1928. This started irrigation, electric power, and flood control to western United States. Following the Hoover Dam, the Tennessee Valley Authority improved the Tennessee River to provide flood control, and, in turn, improve power, agriculture, and forestry. Job creation was a side benefit as well. The Civilian Conservation Corps employed over two million people in all the different fields. With having more people on board with these projects, needs of the land was addressed while boosting the economy. (Wildglobe)
In 1948, The Postwar Period, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act was passed which allowed government control over water pollution. Shortly after that act was passed, people started dying due to smog emissions from steel plants. There was also the first mentioning of DDT, in 1949, which was before Carlson’s book. DDT, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, is an odorless, colorless, tasteless organochloride known for its uses to kill insects, but also toxic to other animals and humans. There was a realization that with this chemical, there was a huge reduction in the butterfly population and with that, there were thoughts about what it could do to the human population in the future. (PBS)
In the fifties, the human population was starting to get involved. There was another smog occurrence, which killed more people. With another smog event, there were connections with smog linked with asthma and lung conditions. After another smog occurrence, The Paley Commission released a document explaining how Americans need to stop their reliance on oil and look for a spark in solar energy to take over. President Eisenhower continued by speaking about what else American can do to try and improve the environment. One point that Eisenhower wanted to get across was “effective methods of control,” that he looked to the Public Health Service to study. In 1957 it was discovered that nuclear wastes were being kept by the Soviet Union. These nuclear wastes consisted of radioactive contamination and from this, numerous communities were permanently evacuated. (PBS)
In the sixties, worldwide carbon dioxide levels reached up to 300 parts per million. Because of this increase in the carbon dioxide levels, Congress adjusted the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 to start a study for further education about automobile exhaust. (PBS) There were also numerous Acts passed to protect more parks and animals across the United States. (Wildglobe) In 1968, there was a change of perspective concerning the environment. Taking a turn from cars and factories polluting the environment, there was a suggestion that it was from overpopulation. From this overpopulation, there was the idea of bringing up the disputes of family planning, contraception, and legalizing abortions. (PBS) The next year, this topic was brought up to college students and they started organizing what would be the first Earth Day. Earth Day would be a “teach-in” on the environment and what can be done to help. (Wildglobe)
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. About 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day events across the United States. Following the first Earth Day, more and more acts to protect the environment came about. Although many acts were formed to protect more parks and animals, the list of endangered animals started to increase. With the endangered animal list starting to increase, in 1973 there was an act that passed which prohibited the trade of endangered of animals, to try and strive for more protection of these animals. In 1974, there was the investigation of another chemical, CFC or chlorofluorocarbons. (Wildglobe) Spray cans and air conditioners create this CFC (Tox Town) and it was found that it is harming the ozone layer. After the realization that many hazardous chemicals were being released into the air, Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act, which will be used to control these chemicals. (Wildglobe) When Carter won presidency, in 1977, he established lots of plans to help with the United States energy issues. Goals that he had were to lower energy demand, reduce gasoline usage, cut the portion of imported oil, increase domestic coal production, and increase solar energy use. Carter also established the Department of Energy, or the DOE. They will be the ones that are accountable for long-term research on energy regulations, data collections and analysis, and nuclear weapons. (PBS) After this there was the creation of EarthFirst!. (Wildglobe) EarthFirst! is a movement that draws attention to the crises of the world, and they are simply putting the “Earth first.” (Earth First!)
The eighties started with the passing of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. This act was passed to help with the cleaning of hazardous waste sites. (Wildglobe) When President Reagan came to office in 1981, he followed Carter with ways to improve the environment. The first thing he did was commission “The Global 2000 Report to the President.” This pointed out current trends that were happening in the environment and what that will lead to in the future. (PBS) In 1985, there was a discovery from scientists that every winter, there was a hole in the ozone layer that developed over Antarctica. (Wildglobe) The following year, The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, requires the reporting of toxic releases to the public. (PBS) At the end of the year, there were a couple more acts that were passed to ensure clean water, and to prohibit dumping of industrial waste and sewage into the oceans. (Wildglobe)
In the nineties, there were more parks and preservation systems created in the United States, as well as the addition of land to many different parks as well. Earth Day was still continuing and they celebrated their 20th anniversary on April 22, 1990. At this time there were also tighter restrictions added to the Clean Air Act to keep reducing the releases of air pollution. One big step that the world made was that there was an agreement to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% by 2010 worldwide. There were also public websites created so people could access local pollution data. (Wildglobe)
Conserving Energy Conserving energy is the process of reducing energy. We are limited to the non-renewable gases that we have on Earth. These include oil and gas, which are what we burn to make energy. If we learn to conserve our energy it reduces the demand for these fossil fuels, or non-renewable gases. Other impacts this makes on the Earth is that it lowers the effects of global climate change and it cuts down the Greenhouse Gases, such as carbon dioxide. Cutting down the amounts of carbon dioxide released into the air will lower the effects of global warming. (ConserveEnergyFuture) When we are at home, there are lots of little things that can be done to conserve energy. Turning off lights is the easiest thing that can be done to conserve energy in your home. Lighting can take up to 15% of your homes electricity. (Lights For Learning) Though it may not seem like much, but when you multiply that by all users, the potential of waste is huge. By turning off lights you can reduce this waste and you can also save money. (Energy-Saving Tips) Another alternative to turning the lights off could be changing your light bulbs to energy-saving bulbs. Even when left on, these light bulbs emit less energy. (Light Bulb Facts) These light bulbs can save you money, as well, but not as much as if you were to turn your lights off all together when they are not in use. Although these light bulbs are expensive, they will pay themselves off in about six months and they last about ten times longer than a regular light bulb. These light bulbs are also a bit of a hassle to dispose of because they have mercury in them and they can be hazardous if the bulb is broken. (Herald-Mail) Along with turning off lights, everything that can be unplugged and turned off without hassle should be. Examples could include microwaves, computers, coffee makers, hair appliances, cell phone chargers, toasters, lamps, etc. (Ways To Save)
Although some bigger appliances cannot be unplugged as easily there are still things that you can do to save energy with them. You should set your refrigerator temperature between 36 and 38 degrees and your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees. Temperature settings that are too low can cause overuse of unneeded energy. You should limit your use with the oven and stove and use the microwave whenever you can, but when you are using the oven you don’t need to constantly open and close the oven door. Every time the oven door is opened it reduces the temperature by 25 or 30 degrees, which causes extra energy use to get the temperature back up. When using your washer, washing your clothes with warm or cold water conserves more energy than using hot water. If you are the nontraditional person and use a dryer to dry your clothes instead of hanging them outside, you should clean the lint filter. Cleaning the lint filter after every use causes the dryer to run more efficiently and use less energy. (100 Ways to Save)
Space heaters and air conditioners are the leader of energy consumption in your home, but they are decreasing. (EIA) A way to help conserve this energy is to change your air filter regularly. You should check your filter at least once a month. Wasting energy comes from not keeping the filters cleaning, causing the appliances to work harder than needed. Keeping vents open can also help conserve energy. Even if the vents are in unused rooms, keeping them open could cause added pressure and lead to leaks. (Garland Power and Light) If you are away from your house for extended periods of time you might want to consider investing in a programmable thermostat. (EnergyStar) If installing a new thermostat is inconvenient, then make sure you turn it down or shut it off for the period you will be gone. (100 Ways)

Other things individuals can do to conserve energy deals with your car. For most of us, the only time we think of conserving energy in our cars is to not use them as much and take public transportation, but there are other things you can do. If you get your car checked up regularly, it can save gas, which leads to improving the fuel economy and saving miles per gallon. (Chevron) Improving the fuel economy will save you money, reduce climate change, and increase energy sustainability. Improving fuel economy reduces climate change by limiting the amount of carbon dioxide that is let off from burning gasoline. Increasing energy sustainability helps improve the economy because oil is a non-renewable resource and using it wisely now will help us find time to create alternatives for it. (FuelEconomy) Other things that improve fuel economy are keeping your tires inflated accurately, slowing down your speed, using your air conditioner sparingly, and avoid letting your engine idle for a lengthy period of time. (Chevron)
When you are in the office it is typically hard to follow all of the things you should do to conserve energy, unless you have everyone on board. Although, as a whole there are things that can be done, that way you don’t have to rely on each individual. Just like in the homes, lighting is a big factor that can be changed with no problem. In the work place, lots of artificial light can be damaging to the eyes and it can be a waste of energy. The solution to this is to brighten up the office with as much natural light as you can, and have lights as a back up. (Energy-Saving Tips) Once again, turning off lights in unused areas are a helpful factor in conserving energy as well.
With new technology these days, there is the option to share documents rather than print them for everyone. Conserving this energy in the printers rather than using paper to print documents can help limit energy use and paper waste. Sharing documents can also add to easier editing of the documents. When you have everything on paper, the simplest mistake can cause vigorous amounts of paper waste. If you do have to print a large document, there is the option of printing double sided which will reduce paper waste. When limiting paper waste, you limit the amount of paper that is being used, causing the printer or machine to not work as much, and all of this ultimately leads to conserving energy. (100 Ways to Save)
Reducing Toxicity Toxins are poisonous substances produced by living creatures. Toxins come in all different shapes and forms and can be naked to the eye. They are usually found in four different substances: air, water, food, and chemicals. The air produces toxins such as methane and carbon monoxide. Bleach, chlorine, and ammonia are toxins that have been found in drinking water. Food additives, highly processed or genetically modified foods, food dyes, and chemical flavorings can be referred to as food toxins. Chemicals that can be considered toxic are pesticide residue and mercury. People are the ones who are responsible for bringing in these toxins into the environment. Once they enter the environment they are introduced in the food chain affecting everyone and everything. The only way to clean up the environment of toxins is to reduce their use. (On) When we are at home there are lots of things we can do to reduce the use of toxins. When reducing the amount of toxins that are used there are numerous things you can do, whether it is in your cleaning supplies, hygiene products, or how you control your pets. In most of your cleaning products you have at home, the words “caution,” “warning,” and “poison” are probably on all of them. Those words mean that there are hazardous contents in them, which include toxins. “Caution” is the least hazardous one of the three, and you want to use products that the least hazardous. With whatever product you do choose to use, you should always use the said amount on the bottle. Over exposure to the product does not help get the job done faster it and is more harmful to you. There are also numerous products out there that are plant-based. These products are made from oils in citrus, seeds, and vegetables. When choosing products that are made from those oils, it makes them less toxic and biodegradable. As lots of cleaners come in sprays, you should choose pump spray containers instead of aerosols. Aerosols have such a broad spray range that can be easier to inhale than pump sprays. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) When choosing the right cleaning products that could be used, you also need to make sure you keep up with using them and keeping your house clean. Cleaning your house regularly keeps unwanted toxins out. One of the simplest things that can be done is removing your shoes before coming into a house. Your shoes track numerous amounts of harmful chemicals on them and by just removing them becoming into a house, it can prevent the spreading of these chemicals. Even the placement of a doormat can help with the prevention of spreading these chemicals. Whether or not you take your shoes off when entering your house, carpets and floors are things that should be cleaned regularly. Chemicals get lodged in pieces of carpet causing carpets to be more harmful than the outdoors. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) While keeping your house clean, personal hygiene can also be looked at when reducing toxins. The use of antibacterial soap is a concern that has been uprising. It has been discovered that antibacterial soap is not any more effective than other over the counter soaps and overuse of the antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits of them. Antibacterial soaps contain chemicals that carry unnecessary risks and the benefits of them have not been discovered. One of the chemicals in the antibacterial soap is triclosan and it is found that this chemical does not provide extra health benefits. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) While it is claimed these soaps protect against bacteria, over exposure to this soap can make you come immune to it to where the soap does not benefit you anymore. Antibacterial soap also keeps you away from all bacteria, including the good bacteria. If you don’t get enough exposure to the good bacteria, it can lead to health problems. While they are bad for you, it is also bad for the environment. Antibacterial soap and this chemical, triclosan, can disrupt the photosynthesis formula and it is also fat-soluble and scientists are worried it could end up in the food chain. (Stromberg) Mercury free everything is also something that should be addressed. Mercury can be found in thermometers, eye drops, and nasal sprays. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) If anything of mercury spills or ends up on the ground it can end up in lakes and streams and this once again affects the food chain. While it is not a direct affect to humans, the environment can suffer when it enters the food chain. (EPA) The disposal of items that have mercury in them should also be directed to the hazardous waste programs, so that the environment isn’t affected any more. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) Toxins and your favorite furry friends are also very relatable. Something goes unnoticed is how much dog waste can affect the environment. Dog waste is a toxic pollutant, especially if it is infected. Infected dog waste can leave traces of the bacteria for several of years. Anyone exposed to this can be at risk for attracting the infection. In order to keep this away from you, your family, and your pets is to clean up after your animals. (Dog Waste) For the unwanted animals that are around your house you should avoid using no-pest strips. No-pest strips release chemicals in the air that are harmful to the environment. Traps are the most environmentally efficient way to control these unwanted animals. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) Another toxin that is released into the air that everyone is exposed to is vehicle emissions. All vehicles that contribute to the release of harmful of emissions, whether they are off road or on road vehicles. These toxins are formed from the release of gasoline into the air as it evaporates. (EPA) Scientists believe that air pollution from car exhaust can cause many illnesses including asthma, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease. (EHHI) Asthma is a lung disease that aggravates and constricts the airways. (NIH) Exhaust is a factor in asthma because it can cause allergic reactions that constrict airways. All vehicle exhaust release fine particles that deeply penetrate the lungs that causes the respiratory problems. It has also been found that half of the people that are diagnosed with cancer get it from air pollution, like vehicle exhaust. (EHHI) Cardiovascular disease is a heart and blood vessel disease, and it is related to the process, atherosclerosis. This condition develops when plaque builds up in the artery walls, making it difficult for blood to flow through the body. This disease can sometimes cause heart attacks or strokes. (Heart) As air pollution increases, people with this disease experience an increase in symptoms and heart attacks become more common for those that are exposed to heavy pollution. (EHHI)
Recycling
We have all heard about recycling for years, but what is it really helping and how is it helping the environment? Recycling is the process of reusing materials to prevent wasting materials that can be useful. Recycling provides a fresh substance of a used material. This act reduces energy use, air and water pollution, and lowers the emission of greenhouse gases. (Wikipedia) There are also many benefits that come from recycling that we take for granted. The main benefit is that it reduces that amount of garbage that is sent to landfills. Although landfills now are becoming safer, living in an area where landfills are not taken care of can lead to health problems such as cancer, birth defects, and genetic mutations. Today, recycling has kept 32% of waste away from landfills, which is about 60 million tons. Recycling also limits the amount of new resources that are used because we can use used resources. Recycling has opened up a whole new industry and many people are benefitting from job openings through this. (Grabianowski – 3)

Another big question that comes from recycling is that people don’t know what they are able to recycle. There are dozens of materials that can be recycled but some of the most common include: paper, glass, metals, plastics, and electronics. (Eartheasy) We all know paper comes from trees and the destruction of trees is harmful to our environment. Trees provide habitats for wildlife, convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, reduce noise, provide shade, and reduce ozone levels. When we recycle paper we are able to keep more trees alive and help keep the benefits that we get from them. When paper is recycled it is melted down to a soupy substance, unwanted chemicals are removed from the substance, a chemical wash is given to remove ink and then the paper is formed to flat sheets that are pressed and dried. (Grabianowski – 4)
When recycling paper goods, there are certain things to know. Newspapers should be saved in a bin separately from everything else because they go straight back to the newsprint for recycling. Things not allowed in paper recycling are stickers, cardboard, or laminated materials. All other paper goods can be put together in one bin, but remember to remove all rubber bands or plastic wrap. Cardboard should be baled together and kept dry. Cardboard with grease or wax on it will not be accepted. (Eartheasy) Glass is another recyclable element although, not all glass is recyclable. The glass that is usually taken to be recycled is used for bottles or jars. Window glass and glass light bulbs are generally too difficult to be recycled. There are two different ways that glass can be recycled. The first way is that the glass can be carefully cleaned and disinfected. The second way is that the glass can be sorted by color and then the glass is ground up and melted down to form new glass. (Grabianowski – 4)When recycling glass in your home, paper labels can be left on the glass. Light bulbs, mirrors and window glass should be left separately from glass bottles and jars, since they are not accepted by many recycling centers. (Eartheasy) Steel, copper and aluminum are metals that can be recycled. Steel that is recyclable usually comes from cars and old buildings and bridges. (Grabianowski – 4) Copper is found in power cables, plumbing tube, and roofing sheets. (Copper and the Environment) Aluminum is found in cans, pie plates, foil, gutters, packaging, and more. (Recycling – Aluminum) All metals are sent to a “scrap yard” and broken down and sorted into their different types of metals. Once all the metal is sorted it is melted down and re-refined into sheets or coils and these are then shipped to different companies to make new cars or construction equipment. (Grabianowski – 4) Aluminum cans should be rinsed and have labels removed and most recycling centers request that they are crushed flat. The only time they request that the labels are not removed is when it is something that is considered to be hazardous. When you are recycling hazardous products also try and keep the lids on them to prevent spilling. Aluminum as well as copper are the most recycled and recyclable of metals and are both 100% recyclable. (Eartheasy) Plastics are difficult to recycle because there are so many different kinds. Plastics are classified into numbers based on the type of plastic it is and the lower the number the easier the recycling process. The plastics that are easily recycled include soda and water bottles and medicine containers, which are classified as number one. Milk jugs, shampoo and soap containers, and motor oil containers are number two. Plastics numbered three, four, five, and six are plastics that are less commonly recycled and only few recycling centers will accept them. Number three plastics include, plastic pipes, shower curtains, and medical tubing; number four plastics include, grocery and sandwich bags; number five plastics include Tupperware; and number six plastics include disposable silverware, meat trays, and coffee cups. The hardest plastics to recycle are numbered 7. These plastics are the least commonly used and they put a burden on recycling centers, so they are rarely collected. (Environmental Issues) These plastics include, baby bottles, water cooler bottles, and car parts. (Eartheasy) When any type of plastic is recycled it is made into a new form. Plastics are sorted and melted and extruded into fibers. These fibers can then be turned into fleece, construction materials, or insulation. (Grabianowski – 5)In your home, the most effort should be made in recycling plastics, since they do not break down in landfills. Plastics numbered one and two can be kept together since they are accepted at all recycling centers. The higher numbers should be looked into at a recycling center to see if it will be accepted. (Eartheasy) Electronics are one of those items that are not commonly recycled. When you are wanting to recycle your electronics it is a labor-intensive method because the separations of all the components is a lot of work and market prices aren’t very high for this scrap. There are also lots of toxic components in electronics that costs the business money to get rid of because they are harmful to the environment. There are companies that will recycle electronics, but they will charge you. (Grabianowski – 5) Since recycling electronics is so difficult, the best thing you can do is recycling them through donation, if there are places they will be accepted. (Eartheasy)

Pros/Cons There are pros and cons when dealing with any alternatives to any problem. When dealing with how to improve the environment, ultimately everything you can do to conserve energy, reduce toxicity, and recycle helps improve the environment. People are held back from taking the next steps to improving the environment because of misinformation that is out there. It can be argued that the environment isn’t bad, and nothing that we do today will help at all so why should we bother. The population of the world is growing, and it is growing at about 1.14% per year. (WorldOMeters) With the growth of population, comes a larger demand for fossil fuels, and as we all know, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. If we keep wasting our resources, then before we know it, we will be out. There are alternatives to fossil fuels that are up and coming, but most people are not adapting to them. Change is difficult for this generation and when faced with such a big change, it is going to take years for everyone to become adapted to the new alternatives. Cars are also being built differently so that their waste of fuel isn’t as large, but with the growth of population, waste is still an issue. Another problem that we are faced with is the confusion of all the different information that is out there. Recycling is the main alternative when talking about misinformation and confusion. There are so many different rules and regulations out there, that people can say that it just isn’t worth it. Some ways to tackle that situation is to make guidelines in your home on what to put where, and label different trashcans for different recycling goods. Tackling recycling with different labeling can also be argued that it is too time consuming. Sorting trash, is time consuming, but with different cans for the different recyclable items, it can become a second nature to you.

Conclusion

Environmental issues have been around forever. In order to improve the problems in the environment recognizing the problem is the first step and then everyone must take actions to correct the issues. If we want to maintain and improve our environment, society must become aware of their day-to-day activities and how they impact the environment, in good and bad ways. People must also be ready to approach the problems and adapt to changing lifestyles. Since this is something that has been around for so long, people should take deep consideration into caring about this problem. The more we care about the environment today, future generations will benefit greatly. The Earth is our home now and we should help improve the environment as much as we can. We shouldn’t want the environment to suffer more in the future if there are things that can be done today to help. Some of these things that can be done is conserving energy, reducing toxins, and recycling. Conserving energy consists is the progression of reducing energy. Reducing toxicity is ultimately decreasing the amount of harmful chemicals in our everyday routine. Recycling is converting trash into usable materials. The main thing that I think will ultimately improve the environment is recycling. Through recycling, the Earth will be a cleaner place and I think that if recycling is taken serious and improved that it will lead to conservation of energy and reducing toxicity. Almost everything that you own has a certain category that it can be placed in to be recycled. With more recycling, less energy would be used in creating new materials. When materials are recycled, they are being broken down into another substance so that they can be built up again to be a new material. Although this process will take up energy, I think that it will save more energy than starting something from scratch. With the continuation of recycling, products will be able to be used over and over again, rather than making new materials every time they are needed. Without having to make something new every time duty calls for it, numerous amounts of energy will be saved. When recycling paper, this will save more trees and save the energy that is used to cut down those trees. As I stated earlier that one of the ways to clean up the environment was to reduce the use of toxins. I think recycling will also lead to the reduction of toxins as well as conservation of energy. If we recycle containers that hold toxic materials, this is the removal of the chemical and it is a chance for that to be turned into something nonhazardous. When recycling these containers, they will not go sit in a landfill and have the chance of spilling. If spillage occurs from hazardous wastes, it could be transferred to the ground, to lakes or streams, and ultimately end up in our food chain. Recycling also leads to the creation of new substances through old materials. Without having to create new substances through new materials, there is the reduction of chemicals being let off into the air. Landfills also let off harmful chemicals in the air and if recycling can limit the amount of waste that goes to the landfills, then the amount of toxins released in the air will be reduced as well.