Opinion
^enduCum
Serving the Elon College Community
Offices. 102 Williamson Avenue, Elon College,
North Carolina
27244
919 584-2331
The Pendulum welcomes your opinion, limited to about 250 words
where possible. All letters must be signed and a phone number
included. The deadline for submission of articles and letters is 5 p.m.
Monday. The Pendulum, founded in 1974, is published by Elon
College students each Thursday during regular school terms.
(ProcCuctivn
Julie Barton
Qraphics
Squrl Thomas
"Reporters
Chip Lupo
Murray Glenn
Sara Joyner
"Entertainment "Editor
Rena Mauldin
advertising
Dorothy Hayes
Marie Milliken
advisor
Jerry Adams
\
Thanks is again owed to Prof. Brad Hamm. Special
thanks also to Prof. Ann Cassebaum.
Elon College Can Lead
In Waste Management
Frankly Speaking ^ -Me,
WOS 4 co2y
STaPE’MT APART/W6A/T-
OA/i-Y oME
t?0H'T msH The sm
lo p-m.
/
By Laurie L. Wommack
Special to The Pendulum
The following essay was
judged best non-fiction by a
freshman writer during 1988-89.
Elon College can help solve
one of the world's largest and most
distressing problems of today -
waste management. Elon can
provide a necessary ingredient for
problem solving, education.
First, Elon can help create an
awareness, then it can suggest
possible course of action and
provide a strategy to minimize the
volume of waste.
Currently, Americans are "the
most prolific producers of solid
waste on earth," according to one
researcher. While different
methods to control the enormous
volume of waste produced have
been attempted, few strategies
have proven adequate.
The conventional methods -
landfills and incinerators - used in
the United States are becoming
less efficient, less available, more
expensive and more budensome
Landfill sites are becoming
mcreasingly more scarce as the
filled-to-capacity sites arc forced to
close.
Social, "not in my backyard"
obstacles impede the search for
new, acceptable sites and escalate
land prices for landfill operators.
The other currently used method
of disposal, the incinerator
produces toxic ash residue which
crates extra burden because it must
be disposed of carefully.
With only these two methods of
aisposal and their drawbacks, the
nsmg consumer demand for
isposable, "throwaway"
packaging only compounds the
problem. Therefore, the consumer
society of America must undergo a
change of lifestyle if the problem
IS to be solved.
Such a change in lifestyle
;nvolves a shift from today's
throwaway society" to a recyclini;
society. It IS the logical solution
to reduce the volume of solid
waste at its source, the consumer.
But recyclingh is not only the
most logical solution, it holds the
most Dromise for sucess because
and
be
of its simplicity and practicality.
"Recycling...is perhaps the best
known way to reduce waste,"
according to Time Magazine. In
adduion to reducing the sheer
volume of waste, recycling also
may slow the depletion of many
natural resources because most
recyciaoie items may be recycled
again and again.
According to a recent report by
the National Committee for
Economic Development, recycling
serves three purposes. It lowers
pollution and conserves scarce raw
materials. Recycling can even
reduce business costs. For
instance, making aluminum cans
from old cans saves 95% of the
energy and creates 95% less
pollution than making new cans.
Thus, recycling benefits the
environment and simultaneously
benefits business interests. Such
a solution which satisfies both
industrialists
environmentalists must
implemented.
Some countries have realized the
benefits of recycling and the
results reflect successful strategy,
notably Japan. In 1988, Japan
recycled 50% of its waste paper,
55% of its glass containers, and
66% of its beverage and food cans.
Such recycling succe;s
overwhelms the American effort
where only 10% of recyclable
waste is recycled.
With Japanese recycling
technology and systematic garbage
collection alone, such success
could not have been achieved As
Time Magazine has reported.
Prudent waste management would
not be possible without the
disciplined cooperation of the
Japenese people."
By separating bottles from cans
^dbumablesffomnon-burnables
the Japanese make garbage
collecuon more efficient. From
the 100,000 tons of typical
garbage produced in a Japanese
estimate, there comes "enough
wood pulp to make a roll oftoifet
paper that would wrap around the
earth ten times."
some areas of the United
i>tates, recycling has been
extremely successful. The Oregon
legislature passed the Recycling
Opportunity Act of 1983 to make
recycling a more accessible
alternative to dumping for the
general public. According to
Oregon Statesman-Journal
reporter Michelle McGurk, a state
recycling expert says the program
has been "highly successful" due
to the fact that cities are
surpassing the recycling
requirements of the law."
She further reports that while 70
cities are required to provide
monthly garbage collections of
cardboard, newspaper, tin cans,
ousejhold glass, aluminum cans.
and used motor oil for recycling,
100 cities currently provide the
serviice.
So the law has spurred
community support and induced
voluntary compliance with the
recycling regulations outlined in
the Recycling Opportunity Act.
By 1984, 90% to 95% of the flass
bottles, 75% of the newspaper,
and 62% of the cardboard used in
the state was recycled.