Alex Pascual - Stop garbage: The truth about recycling

Ive always have been into environmental awareness. Everyone has their own concerns, I guest.

On a professional level, Ive had different works related to the environment (waste and water) and, more specifically, with garbage and recycling.

Also, my current position as a municipal technician has enabled me to observe and check exactly what is recycled in each container or bin, the amount of waste and way this industrial sector, which is very professionalized indeed, behaves.

My professional vision, far from making me a technical specialist in waste treatment, gives me an overview of the global waste management process; how people or households recycle, how we use recycling bins, where or in which treatment facilities the garbage ends up, and in what quantities. This has provided me with knowledge that enables me to explain the current waste recycling options available to us (especially in Europe).

At work, I have to tell people to recycle because its good for the environment and I reel off the typical and topical speech Thats when Im overcome with doubts: Is recycling really critical? Why? What impact does waste recycling have on the environment? What implications does it have on water, on land, on the atmosphere and its resources? Does it affect the environment? To what extent? And what about incineration? Is it harmful? How about landfills? Does recycling our waste generate more jobs? What impact does the recycling industry have on the economy? The truth is that communication available in this field does not usually quantify and explain the recycling benefits successfully. Thats why I started to research the reasons and facts or the truth about recycling.

Is recycling really important?

From a personal and social point of view, I see friends and family around me, as well as many people from different backgrounds (educated, or not), different professions (designers, engineers, artists, administrators, workers, among others), of different agesespecially young people born in our country in the heart of democracy educated in the values of ecology and respecting the environment and, quite simply, they do NOT recycle. Theyre not interested in recycling. They say that recycling is dirty. Garbage stinks. Some justify themselves by saying: Why should I recycle when the government mixes all the recycling bins or containers up afterwards anyway?an urban legend and, by the way, a big fat lie. Other people say: I dont have room for so many different recycling bins. In my opinion, theyre all just excuses, different ways of appeasing their conscience.

So, because of these doubts and, above all, the need to explain to those who do not recycle why its essential to do so, Ive written this book.

I will try to explain the recycling world in a pleasant way but, at the same time, with sufficient information so as to understand what, how much and why it is crucial to recycle our waste, based on verified data and above all with sufficient criteria for knowing which sources are truthful, official and help to easily explain the information.

The objective is not only to care for the environment but also to care for the only planet that we have (there is no plan B), and to show that recycling affects us directly, along with our quality of life, future generations and, ultimately, that it makes us happier with ourselves and with our actions.

The book is written in a direct style, as if the reader and I were talking face-to-face with me explaining what I know about waste recycling.

I hope you like it and that it awakens your curiosity, at least. Enjoy your read!