Precycling explained

Those who are highly enthusiastic about recycling are urging consumers to recycle more. In fact, in some areas of the country residents are already being fined for not recycling enough. Higher levels of recycling are encouraging, however they also indicate high levels of consumption. If people precycled, that is, if they reduced their purchases to only essential and useful items, they would generate less waste and need to recycle far less.

Precycling is a new concept centred around the idea of preventing waste build up by reducing spending and making smart consumer choices.

The concept is important because even recycling contributes to pollution. Recycling facilities must draw on large sources on energy in order to melt items and remanufacture them, which contributes to higher levels of pollution. While recycling helps cut down on the amount of waste going to landfills, it does not sustainably answer the waste problem posed to the modern human civilization.

In America, precycling is already catching on. The Harvey County Transfer Station rescues items from the trash and stores them in a trailer. Once a month, the public can visit the trailer and take away any item for free.

Roy Patton, Harvey County solid waste superintendent, said the event has been a regular success with people lined up to the facility’s gate on the morning of the giveaways.

Precycled items in the Harvey County program include clothes, toys, bicycles, and furniture. In addition, the team has rescued building materials like sinks, toilets and wood which can easily go into a new building.

“I don’t like to call it waste,” Patton said. “It’s usable objects.”

Patton said his landfill receives items that are sometimes still in their original packaging and have never been used. Other items are leftovers from garage sales or items which have been abandoned in apartments when tenants move out.