The History of Recycling Part 2
As we stated in our previous blog, recycling is a process which began a long time ago and has been affected by the 21st century supply and demand. This is because we produce too much recycling for it to be processed in time- however we also do not recycle enough. As a nation, we tend to have these constant internal debates about whether recycling is worth the different coloured bins or not- however, it is our responsibility to look after the environment. Here is part two of the history of recycling…
World War Two
The history of recycling became particularly interesting during one the most famous world wars. The six year war brought along with it financial constraints and shortages which made it essential for the people during this era to reuse their waste whenever possible as an extra source of materials to survive on.
As the war demanded a lot of resources, this meant that little was left behind. In fact, materials such as metal, rubber and food was rationed because they were vital on the warfront. As recycling became a way to gain extra materials, many homes deemed it a necessity.
Post-World War Two
After the war, recycling was heavily influenced by the economy and many resource conservation program that were set up during the war continued in some countries like Japan. On the other hand, these recycling habits were forgot in place like the USA.
During the 1940’s, landfilling became a popular and cheap way to rid the home and cities of rubbish and recycling declined in popularity. These continued until the 1970’s when many drop off centres were established and recycling grew in popularity again as awareness was established about the benefits it has. The 1970’s also saw raising energy costs and people saw they could save via recycling.
Present
In the UK, recycling is widely undertaken by many households and the government has provided homes with different coloured bins in order to make separating the waste much easier. It is our job as a nation to protect our environment and here at The Home and Garden, we say it’s time to start recycling properly again!