“With stronger efforts made by the community, the rate of recycling can go up and create a safer world for future generations to live in.”

  Both nature and humanity follow the same process of recycling natural resources. As we take things in, we expel other things. Humans at home, school and work are very similar to trees in our backyards. However, there is one major difference. The resources that nature expels in our homes are natural.

   For example, a tree turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. but when we turn the heat up a little because of the cold, our furnaces and heat pumps release chemicals into the air which creates a toxic environment.

   Water is a huge part of the manufacturing and producing process. Plastic polluting our oceans and beaches has become a global crisis. Thousands of marine lives are killed each year due to plastic ingestion or getting entangled in it. We have all heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but what exactly are the benefits of recycling? Most people know that we recycle materials to keep them from going into landfills, where they waste energy, space, and pollute the air. Reducing this waste by recycling can keep the air nontoxic and free of chemicals.

   In the U.S, the average person produces about 7.5 pounds of waste each day. Every pound that we can take off this metric adds up to be a wonderful amount of value for the environment. You can help by simply recycling, investing in recyclable materials, turning off the water when it is not in use.

   At Gulf Breeze High School, we need recycling because it helps us create a better environment. Because there are so many students, there is an abundance of waste spread among us.

   There are many opportunities present to improve our recycling habits. In the cafeteria, our school needs to invest in reusable, plastic trays that can be cleaned daily and will be readily available the following day.

   All of the leftover food, as well as wrappers and containers, end up in the garbage can. As time goes on, this waste piles up and causes harm to our environment.

   In every classroom at GBHS, large amounts of paper are used each day for assignments and homework. Some teachers, fortunately, have combated this problem by creating class sets of assignments and tests. However, this is not enough. Teachers should stop giving out physical copies of homework and provide such assignments online.

   Recycling bins should be placed in every classroom and hallway in the school to ensure proper disposal of paper, cans and plastic.

   With stronger efforts made by the community, the rate of recycling can go up and create a safer world for future generations to live in. Recycling is the future, but we need to start now!