Recycling Essay
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Outline
Thesis: Recycling should be strictly enforced by the government and people should be penalized
for not following regulations.
I. Introduction.
A. Most states do not enforce recycling
II. Benefits of recycling
A. Reduce waste
B. Environmental considerations
III. Recycling in the home
A. Not using recycling bins
B. Contamination
IV. Programs
A. Education
B. Make recycling easier
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Anthony Ulen
R. Sullivan
Composition 1301
5 October 2019
Government Regulations on Recycling
Recycling has many benefits, unfortunately, many states do not force people to recycle.
Some states, Alaska for example, have zero systems in place to get people to recycle; other
states, however, do provide recycling bins or charge a refundable fee on aluminum cans, this is
not enough. States have undermined the problems the US have been facing when it comes to
recycling for over 70 years. Since we can’t leave it to just a few volunteer agencies that offer
recycling benefits and accessibility, then ultimately it should just be enforced by the federal
government. Unless States or the federal government take action nothing will change, landfills
will continue to grow and the environment will worsen. Recycling should be strictly enforced by
the government and people should be penalized for not following regulations. This would
increase revenue and create jobs that would ultimately boost the economy. But, in order for
these things to take place the US government would have to regulate the several harmful single
use plastic companies that have been thriving on the sales of their products for decades without
being held accountable for the impact they’re leaving on the economy and the planet.
In order to understand why recycling needs to be strictly enforced by some form of the
government you first need to understand the benefits of recycling. Reducing waste has several
beneficial factors; like the ability to decrease the carbon footprint that we’re leaving for our
children and future generations. Second those harmful single use goods like aluminum cans or
beverage plastics can end up being re-used, to decrease the amount of waste in landfills polluting
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Commented [RS6]: Is this the argument in each paragraph? If not, then it is the so what point, the solution for what should happen when the government actually enforces its own rules.
Commented [RS7]: redundant. All of this says the same basic thing.
Commented [RS8]: If the previous sentence is the thesis, what is the purpose of this information? Leave the details to the body paragraphs.
Commented [RS9]: Last time noted: NO essay this semester will use second person.
Commented [RS10]: Does this topic address why the government should enforce recycling rules?
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the soil and potentially the under-ground water system; or in the oceans where they are for sure
devastating the very delicate eco-system that drives life on our planet. “More plastic has been
created the past decade than the past 100 years.” (Susan Freinkel). By the government enforcing
recycling that number can be brought down. Recycling can also increase jobs within our own
country which would inevitably increase our way of life by living in a cleaner environment in
which to raise a family, or boost the American economy.
The problem is that even if recycling bins are provided there is nothing stopping people
from throwing away recyclable goods. If there was a law that penalized people for putting cans
or plastics in the proper bin this would cause people to be more aware of their actions. It sounds
harsh but if people are not going to help take care of their country with keeping it clean and trash
free then it may just be a necessary evil. This could be enforced from spot checks on bins
looking for recyclable material and the owner would be ticketed for not complying. Another
issue is that recyclable material is contaminated. Several items like single use plastic water
bottles, fast food straws and aluminum cans begin emitting potentially harmful toxins when
exposed to direct sunlight or water. This could change by households cleaning off what they are
putting in the bin and making sure they are not cross contaminating; and use the same type of
fine penalty. In an article from the weekly states; “It's estimated that about 25 percent of
American recyclables are contaminated with food waste and non-recyclable materials, according
to the National Waste & Recycling Association trade group.” (The recycling crisis). Once a
recyclable good is contaminated it can no longer be recycled and then turns to waste. Creating a
new law could have an impact on not contaminating recyclable goods.
In the home is where recycling starts, and many households do not make a conscious
effort to recycle. This problem is mostly the lack of education. Americans feel that if they put all
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Commented [RS15]: Quotations cannot stand alone like this. They must be woven into the argument. Go back to Bb and review the information there.
Commented [RS16]: Doesn’t this go off topic?
Commented [RS17]: Yes, this is a problem. How should the government controlling recycling fix this?
Commented [RS18]: I’m not sure I follow this. How does washing change the fact that the items themselves—straws, cans, bottles—give off harmful toxins? If washing is the key, the leftover food or products in those straws, cans, or bottles are to blame.
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their garbage; glass, plastics, bio-degradable items, anything they want, into a plastic bag and
take that plastic bag to the end of their driveway into their trash bins and the trash is collected
and taken away then the problem disappears. This mindset is what has created this enormous
problem that we could’ve fixed if only we were more educated on the subject. In a study by the
National Waste and Recycling Association said that ’’One third of Americans are not sure what
can be recycled.” (Allan Gerlat). Very little information on the benefits of recycling are available
to the public. If the state or federal government emplaced laws at the household level recycling
would increase.
Recycling really could make an enormous difference but before it can be enforced it must
be made available. This is one way to make the recycling crisis go away, is if state or federal
governments actually made programs available to those who actually want to make a difference
by recycling and creating a beret and cleaner country in which to live in. A cleaner waste free
country has enormous benefits for the environment. Education is going to have the best impact
for people to change their ways and government enforced programs is the only way to make this
work because what current systems that are in place are not working.
Commented [RS23]: All of this is true and is related to recycling, but is it related to your topic? Go back and look at your thesis: Recycling should be strictly enforced by the government and people should be penalized for not
following regulations. Does any portion of this mention
enforcement, the government, or penalties?
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Work Cited
Gerlat, Allan. “Americans Can Benefit from More Recycling Education – Study.” Waste360, 22 Apr. 2014, https://www.waste360.com/research-and-statistics/americans-can-benefit-more-recycling-education- study. Staff, The Week. “The Recycling Crisis.” Image, The Week, 30 Mar. 2019, https://theweek.com/articles/831864/recycling-crisis. Freinkel, Susan. Plastic: a Toxic Love Story. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), 2011. Anthony, All of the information here is inter-related and COULD support the thesis. Right now, though, the connection between each body paragraph and the thesis is not entirely clear. Remember your argument: Recycling should be enforced by the government. When you take your topic sentences out and list them, do they directly address that statement? Recycling should be enforced by the government.
In order to understand why recycling needs to be strictly enforced by some form of the
government you first need to understand the benefits of recycling. [this says I am going to give
you information about the benefits of recycling. Yes, the first part of the sentence mentions
wording from the thesis, but the emphasis is on the second part of the sentence—giving
information.] Recycling should be enforced by the government.
The problem is that even if recycling bins are provided there is nothing stopping people from
throwing away recyclable goods.
Recycling should be enforced by the government.
In the home is where recycling starts, and many households do not make a conscious effort to
recycle. Do you see how the topic sentences do not indicate a direct support of the thesis? Because they do not, the paragraphs wander before coming back to the thesis. All of this information could be brought back, though, by rewriting topic sentences and working in the connection throughout the body paragraphs instead of waiting for one or two sentences at the end of the paragraphs. See the in-text details for additional details.
Commented [RS26]: Plural—more than one source listed here.
Commented [RS27]: Use the appropriate font. Entries should be alphabetized and should use hanging indent.
Commented [RS28]: Week Staff. “The Recycling Crisis.”
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Commented [RS30]: This is the name of the page sponsor
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1. AU Did you use research material in this assignment? Research is REQUIRED for this assignment. 2. AU Do you have a Works Cited page at the end of your essay with the title Works Cited? 3. AU Do you have three appropriate sources (see the guidelines in this lesson) listed on the WC page? 4. AU Are those three sources cited in the paper using either paraphrases or direct quotations? 5. AU Did you define words, use a dictionary, or use an encyclopedia? If so, those sources and information
from those sources must be removed. Most common words or words used with their well-known definition do not need to be defined in an essay. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are NOT argumentative sources.
6. AU Did you use MLA 8th edition to cite your sources within the text and in the WC list? 7. AU Have you used parenthetical references within the text to show that you are paraphrasing or quoting? 8. AU Does the word/name in each parenthetical reference match the first word/name in the corresponding WC
entry? 9. AU Does the alphanumeric outline appear in the same file as the essay itself (it should)? Is it the
first page in the document? (It should be.) 10. AU Is the outline page numbering different than your text pages? Outlines use lowercase Roman
numerals (i, ii, iii), while text pages use Arabic numerals. 11. AU Are your last name and page number in the header (inside of the margin), NOT in the
text? See the examples online from Diana Hacker and youtube (for specific instructions using your version of your word processing program).
12. AU Does your thesis appear in the outline AND in the introduction? Is it the same thesis? They should be the same.
13. AU Is your thesis a single, concise sentence? 14. AU Does the thesis state the argument the essay will make? 15. AU Is the file properly named, as advised on Bb? (yourlastnameARGUEdraft) 16. AU REMOVE all FIRST and SECOND person pronouns (no you, I, me, my, your, etc.). Remove
all commands, too. 17. AU Does the method of organization suit the arguments you are presenting? 18. AU Does the essay refer to itself? (For example, are you writing lines like, “In this essay I will . .
.? If so, remove them.) 19. AU Have you checked MLA format for proper margins (one inch all around--pre-formatted settings
sometimes use 1.5 inches on the side, so be sure to double check), heading information, header
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placement, font, font size, outline structure, etc.? Your grammar handbook has an example for you, as does Bb.
20. AU Did you run spellcheck? 21. AU Does your conclusion make a so what point? 22. AU Did you begin the conclusion with "in conclusion"? If so, remove that phrase. 23. AU Have you met the minimum word requirement? 24. AU Have all contractions been removed? (This is a formal essay.) 25. AU Does the essay have logical transitions throughout? 26. AU Are all of your sentences in each paragraph in the subject + verb sentence structure? If so,
review the grammar handbook's chapter on coordination and subordination in order to avoid choppiness.