Understanding Recyclable and Renewable Materials for Sustainable Living

Sustainability is a necessity in the 21st century. Both recyclable and renewable resources will aid in making the planet safer, greener, and better for future generations. Recycling is the practice of transforming waste products into new supplies and products. Renewable resources are resources that have the capability to be naturally and organically replaced in a set time period. With the impending threat of climate change, understanding the difference and spreading awareness about both recyclable and renewable materials for sustainability is essential.

 

Renewable & Recyclable Resources Case Study: Timber & Plastic

There is a myriad of sustainable materials that are used in everyday life. Timber is an exceptional example of a sustainable material. Although timber is considered by many to be a sustainable material, it does come with numerous environmental problems. An alternative to the use of the renewable resource, timber, can be the use of a recyclable resource, plastic. Plastic is a material that is mainly created from petrochemicals and is not biodegradable. Although plastic is not renewable, it is recyclable, which means that used plastic can be melted down and remolded into numerous other products. 

 

Both renewable and recyclable materials have their positives and negatives and understanding how both of these types of materials work is key in comprehending how to make the earth more sustainable.

 

Maintaining a Balance between Renewable and Recyclable Materials

The short answer to whether we should use renewable or recyclable materials is that we need to use both. 

Recyclable Renewables

A third option instead of recyclables or renewables are recyclable renewables which, as the name implies, make it possible to recycle your renewable products.

The current crop of recyclable and renewable sources are not entirely sustainable by themselves. Recyclable renewable sources provide us with a hopeful alternative that can provide sustainable living without impacting the environment as much as we do today.