One of the books I’m reading is Jennie Romer’s book, Can I Recycle This? It’s been especially helpful because I’m still trying to figure out the best practices for recycling. I really appreciate how she broke down all the facets of recycling into bite-size pieces in this book. The information is concise and easy to understand and makes for good, quick reference material.
What topics does this book cover
It starts with defining recycling and the materials used and how they are made. When it comes to recycling, it’s good to understand how these materials are categorized and how that impacts the process.
How recycling facilities process the different materials and how those materials are sold on the commodities market. This helps to make sense of why recycling centers can and cannot accept different materials. A lot depends on the type of equipment they have and what their end buyers need. And why some recyclable materials are higher value than others.
There’s a whole index section for what common household items can be recycled, or not, and why. It’s really nice to just have a handy index for questions like these. Also, by answering why some things can’t be recycled, it provides a natural way of explaining things about the recycling industry.
There is a brief but good overview of the environmental issues associated with plastic. Along with the humanitarian issues of exporting recyclables. It was a reminder that plastic waste isn’t just an environmental issue. And that America really does need better domestic systems/policies for handling our own recycling.
I really liked the section on what can be done on an individual level to help. My personal focus has been on changing aspects of my lifestyle to make better habits for a better planet. So I like that Jennie has included the topic on how individuals can be a part of policy and corporate change. She covers what has been done in the area of political action in addition to lifestyle changes that reduce dependency on single-use plastics.
Would I recommend the book, Can I Recycle This?
Again, this book is focused on breadth of information more than depth. So it is a great place to begin if you are trying to learn more about the do’s and don’ts of recycling. It covers the recycling process and why some things can be recycled and why some things aren’t. It ends with an overview of the environmental and humanitarian issues involved with plastic pollution. Along with what is being done to help and what more we can do.
I will definitely be keeping this book in my personal library for reference. I’ll also be including it on my resource page.
Leave a Reply