What are green technologies?

Recycling is reusing materials in existing products to create new ones.  What we throw away can be sorted and channeled back into new buildings and products at a fraction of the cost of new materials.  An entirely new industry has sprung up around an idea that recycling makes sense from an energy standpoint as well as being a pillar of sustainable living.

 As the population grows and with it the need for raw materials, society needs recycling.  Municipal solid waste (MSW) can include anything we throw away like plastics, glass, paper, old furniture, electronics, tires, or yard clippings.  These things can be recovered at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where it is sorted and processed before being sent to manufacturers.  MRFs are increasingly part of single-stream recycling where all MSW is collected together then segregated later into separate recyclable streams.  Curbside pickup where individual families separate waste and put it at the curbside and drop-off recycling where recyclables are dropped off at a central location are still popular.  Anything that is recycled keeps it out of a landfill and prevents pollution. 

By recycling we prolong the storage capacity of landfills and we reuse good materials.  We also reduce pollution because fewer new products need to be produced and we reduce our need for new natural resources.  What doesn’t get recycled can be burned to produce heat and steam for industry or the organic component of waste can be composted. Old landfills can be tapped for the methane it produces which is used to power equipment that generates electricity.

Lake Land offers several courses that relate to recycling: TEC 066, Resource Sustainability, TEC 057, Introduction to Renewable Energy, and TEC 058, Alternative Energy.  Recycling is part of our green technology future.

Careers in recycling are quite diverse.  You could be recyclable material collector or truck driver that takes waste to a MRF.  At the MRF you could be a sorter, mechanic, technician, materials handler, heavy equipment operator, or machinery maintenance worker.  You could also be a material recovery manager, route manager, or sales representative.  Many municipalities also employ recycling advocates to manage and promote their recycling program.  Landfills manage waste with heavy equipment, technicians monitor the air and water, managers acquire permits and submit reports, and power plant workers generate electricity.