Hi there, I’m Alex,
Welcome! First of all, thank you for visiting and following Stop Garbage.
In this page I would like to explain a bit about myself and the blog:
I’ve always been into environmental awareness. Everyone has their own concerns, I guess.
On a professional level, I’ve had different jobs related to the environment (waste and water) and, more specifically, waste and recycling.
Also, my current position as a municipal technician has enabled me to observe and check exactly what is recycled in each container or bin, the amount of waste and way this industrial sector, which is very professionalized indeed, behaves.
My professional vision, far from making me a technical specialist in waste treatment, gives me an overview of the global waste management process; how people or households recycle, how we use recycling bins, where or in which treatment facilities the garbage ends up, and in what quantities. This has provided me with knowledge that enables me to explain the current waste recycling options available to us (especially in Europe).
At work, I have to tell people to recycle because it’s good for the environment and I reel off the typical and topical speech… That’s when I’m overcome with doubts: Is recycling really critical? Why? What impact does waste recycling have on the environment? What implications does it have on water, on land, on the atmosphere and its resources? Does it affect the environment? To what extent? And what about incineration? Is it harmful? How about landfills? Does recycling our waste generate more jobs? What impact does the recycling industry have on the economy? The truth is that communication available in this field does not usually quantify and explain the recycling benefits successfully. That’s why I started to research the reasons and facts or truth about recycling.
From a personal and social point of view, I see friends and family around me, as well as many people from different backgrounds (educated, or not), different professions (designers, engineers, artists, administrators, workers, among others), of different ages–especially young people born in our country in the heart of democracy– educated in the values of ecology and respecting the environment and, quite simply, they do NOT recycle. They’re not interested in recycling. They say that recycling is dirty. Garbage “stinks”. Some justify themselves by saying: “Why should I recycle when the government mixes all the recycling bins or containers up afterwards anyway?”–an urban legend and, by the way, a big fat lie. Other people say: “I don’t have room for so many different recycling bins.” In my opinion, they’re all just excuses, different ways of appeasing their conscience.
My contribution: Explain easily, clearly and with proven data why it is important to recycle and the consequences of not doing it and to make my contribution to the environment.
Thanks for reading. Lets start!