Recycling is a well-known industry that is internationally recognized. It is the process by which materials are collected and reused as “raw” materials for new products. It includes three main steps. Firstly materials are source-separated and collected. Secondly materials are processed and manufactured into new products. Thirdly consumers purchase the goods made with reprocessed materials.
One of the main advantages of recycling is that it helps in maintaining a clean and healthy environment. It also can be a good resource for financial income. I also know of competitions between international companies in the West fighting to get garbage-recycling contracts.
Although this idea was suggested years ago and has actually been implemented in few sectors, recycling is something under trial in the Kingdom. Huge paper containers are only available in universities and as time passes people lose interest in placing unwanted papers in them for recycling. On the other hand yellow garbage bins can be seen in the streets containing all sorts of trash without a separation of cans from paper etc.
The recycling plan was supposed to increase people’s awareness to help them make use of their garbage economically by recycling. Citizens are also supposed to in theory contribute by source separating their trash and placing them in appropriate bins. Businessmen also need to maintain the cleanliness of the environment and adopt recycling as part of their daily lives.
On many occasions I have seen expatriates carrying bags full of empty drink cans. I later found out that these people sell the cans by the kilo to aluminum factories and that they apparently make a little money as well.
I really wish that the idea of recycling could be successfully implemented in the Kingdom. It’s about time that citizens contribute actively in maintaining a good environment. I believe that if we were to recycle items then we would make a fortune that would be beyond anyone’s imagination. Money earned from the sale of recyclable materials can benefit individual recyclers or help communities and companies. Recycling also helps the authorities reduce waste disposal costs.
