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Disadvantages Of Recycling

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Gift wrapping materials, such as gift wrap, are often non-recyclable (Earth911qtd. in Gift). This is because wrapping paper is often dyed and laminated, and can contain additives, such as gold and silver coloring, glitter and plastics, and usually has nonrecyclable tape on it (Earth911 qtd. in Gift). Including too much non-recyclable material in the recycling bin can keep an entire load of material from being recycled, so it is important to only place accepted items in the recycling bin (Malone). Trying to recycle non-recyclable items can cause more harm to the environment than simply sending the non-recyclable items to the landfill to begin with. If looking to buy recyclable wrapping paper, it is better to stick with the simple stuff, like basic craft paper without a shiny coating (Miller). But really, it’s better to reuse giftwrap or to avoid it entirely (Malone). This is because making wrapping paper recyclable is not the most effective solution.
Yes, recycling is often preferable to sending materials straight to the landfill, but recycling has its own demons. A big concern regarding recycling is the possibility of encouraging over consumption. As award winning environmental journalist Amy Westervelt explains in her essay, “Can Recycling Be Bad for the Environment”, people will ease the guilty they feel for massively over-consuming disposable goods by tossing the used items into their recycling bins (213). But not everything that’s recyclable gets recycled—recycling is

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