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The World has recently been growing technologically and in all other aspects. The world population has also been rising due to increased birth rates, increased healthcare services, and adequate food production. On the contrary, mortality rates in most countries have also been increasing though not like the corresponding birth rates in those countries. This has seen some countries become overpopulated. This population means increased consumption and use of various products in those countries. And as it is well known, there must always be waste products generation whenever people consume units of any products.

Wastes include food remains, municipal solid wastes, hazardous waste materials, industrial non-hazardous waste materials, agricultural waste materials, animal wastes, medical wastes, radioactive wastes, construction and demolition wastes, debris, extraction and mining wastes, and others. The others also include but are not limited to oil and gas production wastes, fossil fuel combustion wastes, sewage, plastic wastes, and scrap metals. All these wastes are produced due to the emerging technology and the increase in the world human population. The current economic activities have also contributed immensely to the growing waste product quantities. That is because industrialization leads to the production of a bigger chunk of waste products; emerging residential estates in most cities and towns also lead to many household wastes, which the World must find appropriate methods to dispose of.

The transport industry also produces a significant chunk of waste materials. These are especially harmful to the environment. Some of these wastes include the burning fuel emissions to the atmosphere, which are common in overpopulated towns and are produced by unroadworthy vehicles that are somehow allowed to traverse our roads. However, it is important to note that some of these waste products are helpful to both human beings and their activities. For example, food remains from households can be used as manure which will increase soil fertility and, in return, lead to better food production. Similarly, animal wastes are also important because they can be used to form compost manure, which will, in return, be applied to crops on the farm to increase soil fertility, leading to increased food production for the human generation. Other wastes like scrap metals are also important because they can be reused or recycled to create other products.

Other waste materials are harmful to the environment. These include the smoke emissions from burning fuels. They have contributed immensely to environmental pollution and particularly global warming. Global warming refers to the situation where too much carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, absorbing sunlight and solar heat. This has resulted in climate change in most parts of the World.

Smoke emissions from different manufacturing companies are also harmful to the environment. Other wastes like plastic wastes and scrap metals are also harmful. That is because they do not decompose. Therefore, the first dirty the environment; next, they also cause atmospheric pollution when burned. Thus, there has been a growing need to find sustainable solutions to the menace of waste disposal methods.

Background

China is one such country that has been affected by environmental pollution. That is because of its overpopulation and industrialization. China is known to be among some of the World's supergiants in industrialization. That is evident from the variety of products that China exports and produces. Some of the products include vehicles, metals, and many other industrial materials. It is argued that China is the number one Industrial exporter to other continents, especially Africa. Today, China has built and supervised most African countries’ roads, railway lines, and many other infrastructures. Therefore, people can imagine how much more China does within its boundaries. The population of China, as mentioned earlier, is also estimated at 1.402 billion people as per the 2020 statistics. This population, however, lives in a landmass with a surface area worth only approximately 38,000 square kilometers.

This surface area is insignificant compared to the population. Thus, the urban centers in China are overpopulated. That has resulted in increased waste production in China. First, industrialization has produced many vehicles, and China has many private vehicle owners. Similarly, there are many production activities in the country. That has also contributed to excessive waste products in the country. This situation has necessitated the need to find appropriate methods of waste dispersal in China. The waste products in China have also contributed to climate change. First, too many industries only mean that China produces excessive smoke and bio-hazardous wastes. That has also contributed to global warming and desertification in most of Asia.

China has thus resorted to using the following methods of waste management. The first is the use of compost pits. China encourages households to create their compost pits within the perimeters of the compound where they can dispose of their kitchen refuse; in return, the refuse will decompose, and it can, in return, be used as manure to increase food production in China. China also encourages the practice of reusing waste materials. There are wastes like plastic wastes and polythene bags that can be reused. Therefore, it would be unrealistic to dispose of these materials, yet they cannot decompose. It would also be unrealistic to dispose of these materials, yet they can be used to serve better purposes. For example, plastic jerricans can be reused to store water and other substances. Similarly, plastic bags can also be reused some other day when a person wants to go shopping.

The next method advocated for in China is the Incineration of materials. Incineration refers to the destruction of waste materials by burning. This should mostly be used to dispose of wastes like plastics and other bio-hazardous substances. Therefore, Incineration is done in an incinerator that minimizes smoke release into the atmosphere. Thus, the waste substances are burned down to ashes which can then be disposed of easily and will add potassium value to the soil if applied to crop farms. The other method is the recycling of waste materials. Some waste materials might lose value, yet they can still generate value in other aspects. Some of these wastes include scrap metals and plastic materials. China hence advocates for the recycling of such materials. Recycling is hence the art of re-converting waste materials to other reusable materials. The scrap metals, for example, can be smelted and used to make other new products.

Similarly, plastics can also be smelted to create other containers. Bottling companies are also fond of recollecting their bottles to recycle and reuse. This generates additional value from the products by minimizing production costs and minimizing the chances of environmental pollution. This research hence focuses on recycling waste materials in the context of climate in China.

History of Recycling In China

Just like any other country, China is not self-sufficient. That means that China imports most of the products that they use. Some of the products that China imports hence include; seeds, grains, fruits, oilseeds, iron and steel products, pharmaceutical products, meat, plastics, and many more. These products are hence sold locally to the local population. China mainly imports products because of its large population. The over one billion population needs food that the country cannot produce. Thus, China is forced to source extra food to feed its excess population from elsewhere. China also imports because no country has the necessary resources required for production. This explains why China imports Iron and Steel products into their manufacturing industries. China also meets its temporary and long-term demand for products due to importation.

China also imports because of the incapability of its local companies to produce good products that can supply its entire population. Each company usually has an optimal capacity. This capacity is determined by the amount of labor force that is the present and mechanical capacity of the company to produce its respective products. The mechanical capacity is therefore characterized by the total number of machines available at the company that can be used in the production process. Lastly, the volume of production of any company is determined by the availability of raw materials. For example, a packaging company cannot package a thousand soda bottles when they only have a hundred bottles worth of soda. These factors have hence necessitated China to import various products over the years.

However, in 2017, China realized it was aiding environmental pollution by importing some products. These included plastic substances and scrap metals. These substances were being produced locally, yet they were also importing them in bulk. This resulted in excessive pollution since polyethylene and plastic materials do not decompose. Their disposal was also a problem that led to most cities in China and residential areas becoming uninhabitable. Dirtiness was the order of the day. And plastic and polyethylene materials were present in all corners of the country. That prompted China to impose a ban on importing recyclable materials that were produced locally. For example, China could produce plastic bottles locally; therefore, they banned the importation of plastic bottles from promoting the local companies by encouraging recycling of already used plastic bottles and producing only an insignificant amount of new plastic bottles.

Most Chinese companies became innovative and resorted to searching for alternative methods of meeting their demands without creating excessive pollution.

That resulted in the promotion of reusing reusable substances like plastic bottles and many others. Reusing of materials hence resulted in a tremendous decrease in pollution in China. Plastics and polythene substances do not decompose; hence their importation, when coupled with local production, created an influx in their supply that threatened not only the cleanliness of China but also the pollution levels and climate change in China. China was also forced to put initiatives the same year and the following year to ensure effective waste collection and recycling of waste materials. People were employed all over the country who were responsible for waste and garbage collection. Others were also employed in the recycling industry so that there is effective continuous collection and recycling of waste substances. Companies were also advised and promoted by the government to adopt the collection of their waste substances for recycling purposes, and in return, they could recycle them to avoid excessive pollution beyond the then levels. Thus, currently, China boasts of effective waste collection and disposal techniques. The country also boasts a controlled climate that has elevated effective waste disposal techniques.

Recycling Process

Recycling of products thus follows a specified four-step process. This is as indicated below:

1^st Step; Waste Collection

           The recycling process begins with first collecting the waste materials. This is conducted using a variety of methods. First, people set up dustbins for disposing of recyclable waste materials. Next, companies can strategically set up their drop centers and containers at many points countrywide. This would help collect recyclable wastes, after which they are transported to the recycling center.

2^nd Step; Processing

           The collected materials are then transported to the recycling facility. Here, they are sorted. They are then cleaned thoroughly and disinfected before further action. After this, the waste products are now safe for the final face in the recycling process, discussed below.

3^rd Step; Manufacturing

           The cleaned and disinfected waste materials are transformed into new useful materials. For example, suppose the wastes were scrap metals, then they would be smelted and used to create other metal products. Suppose they were plastic, then they would now be smelted and used to make other better plastic materials. Lastly, if it were water, it would be cleaned and reproduced to new clean and safe water for drinking or other use. And it will then be packaged or pumped to its required place of use.

4^th Step; Purchasing Recycled-Content Products

           The final stage is to market and sell recycled products. Here, the population takes recycled products to the market for purchase. Others are taken to different industries for use in bottling or packaging their products if they were plastics or packaging materials.

Advantages of Recycling

Protects Ecosystems and Wildlife

Recycling has played a major role in protecting the ecosystem and wildlife in China. That is in various aspects. First, various waste like sewage is often treated or not treated and released into the water bodies. That is mostly to the deep sea. This causes huge discomfort for sea creatures. That, in return, leads to the death of several see creatures hence disruption.

Similarly, recycling timber products also helps minimize the chances of deforestation in China. That hence helps to conserve wild animals’ habitats. Similarly, that helps create a balance in the atmosphere since trees help clean the atmosphere by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

Conserves Natural Resources

Recycling also plays a major role in conserving natural resources in China. Natural resources are materials that occur naturally in the atmosphere and can be exploited for economic gain. Therefore when China recycles materials like paper to create new materials. Then they minimize the chances of cutting down trees to produce new paper products. That, in return, helps to conserve the forest cover.

Similarly, when China recycles scrap metals to create other metal products. Then they minimize the need to mine more metals and minerals. In return, China conserves its mineral deposits, and they are assured that future generations will also find natural resources to further their development. Recycling plastics also helps to conserve natural resources. That is because plastics are created from hydrocarbons. Thus, the hydrocarbon deposits are conserved for future generations when plastics are conserved. Conserving natural resources like forest cover also helps to reduce climate change by minimizing atmospheric pollution.

Saves Energy

The production process always requires energy; for example, converting raw materials like mineral ores to metals that can be used to create different products is always coupled with adverse energy. Therefore, when China recycles materials, they are sure to conserve a great percentage of energy. For example, recycling glass bottles, b bottling companies simply involves cleaning and disinfecting. After that, the bottles are then ready for use. However, producing new bottles is cumbersome and requires a significant amount of energy. In most instances, the energy source is always electric energy used by many industries. Thus, recycling will minimize energy use by these companies and increase the energy supply to the local population. That will hence be an advantage to the entire country when everybody or a majority of the population has access to various energy sources since it translates to increased production capabilities by the country.

Reduces Need to Harvest New materials

Recycling by China also minimizes the need to harvest new material. Several materials are recycled in China. These include but are not limited to plastic bottles, scrap metals, glass bottles, polythene bags, shoe soles, and many more. When these materials are recycled, China creates additional value from them. This hence minimizes the need to generate such materials. For example, when China recycles soft drinks bottles, those companies will not have to produce such new products. That hence reduces the production cost of substances like soft drinks. In return, their market prices also reduce significantly.

Similarly, China is well known for its auto industry. Therefore, when China recycles scrap metals, they minimize the costs they would otherwise incur suppose they produced new metals for the motor industry. Hence, China has extremely subsidized motor vehicles, such as equipment prices.

Reduces Carbon Emissions

Recycling also reduces carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The production process is often coupled with excessive carbon emissions into the atmosphere, especially in manufacturing industries. The industries often burn excess fossil fuels to generate the required energy to smelt metals and perform other functions. However, when companies in China choose to recycle, they minimize the costs and energy used in the production process. In return, only a lower amount of smoke emissions is released into the atmosphere, reducing air pollution significantly. This hence helps to deal with the problem of climate change which has led to increased desertification in many parts of the World. It also minimizes global warming caused by too much carbon emission into the atmosphere.

Saves Money

Next, recycling helps China to save a significant amount of money. The use of too much finances always characterizes the production process. That is used in purchasing raw materials, paying for labor costs, and other related costs. However, when China adopts too much recycling, the companies do not need any more raw materials or need fewer raw materials. That further means that the financial costs that would have otherwise been incurred when acquiring the raw materials can now be used in other sectors of the economy. In return, the Chinees companies save a lot of money that they now invest in other sectors of the economy and other areas of the World to generate more income.

Creates Jobs

Recycling also creates jobs for a majority of the population of China. In any big nation like China or countries with a high population like China, there is always the problem of unemployment. That is because the structures within the economy and their economic resources are never enough to employ the entire population. Therefore, it is often normal to find a bigger population of poor citizens and unemployed individuals in countries with sizable populations like China and India. However, China is an exemptional case since it can provide basic needs to a majority of its population. China also has a lower poverty index than other countries. China is classified as one of the most developed and industrialized nations worldwide. Now the question is, how is this possible. And the research found a simple answer: China has employed a bigger percentage of its youthful population in the recycling industry. Some people are employed as garbage collectors, others as transporters, and others are handlers in the recycling companies. Therefore, recycling also creates jobs for the population of China.

Reduces Incineration

There are other methods of waste disposal. However, not all the methods are appropriate since other methods lead to further environmental pollution. For example, Incineration is considered one of the major waste disposal methods. However, Incineration involves the release of smoke into the atmosphere. That means that Incineration leads to the release of excessive carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That is a great disadvantage since carbon dioxide disrupts the atmospheric composition, which results in global warming.

On the other hand, global warming leads to desertification and climate change that China and the rest of the World are struggling to minimize. Therefore, China should recycle its waste materials that can be recycled to minimize the use of Incineration. In return, carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere will reduce significantly and minimize global warming and climate change in general.

Disadvantages of Recycling

High Upfront capital Costs

Though recycling has many advantages, it is never cost-effective to initiate a recycling unit. The recycling unit comprises the transportation system involved, the waste collection and processing unit. Acquiring the transport trucks to bring the collected wastes to the recycling factory is extremely costly. Similarly, it is costly to train public members on the benefits of recycling to adopt the trait of collecting recyclable wastes instead of just disposing of them anywhere. It is also costly to acquire the waste disposal units used to collect recyclable wastes. Lastly, recycling involves the employment of additional employees for a company. That can, at times, be extremely costly.

Recycling Sites are Always Unhygienic, Unsafe, and Unsightly.

           Recycling sites are always filled with waste materials. These are the recyclable materials that are brought daily to the sites. This creates great discomfort from both their smell and discomfort. The waste materials are also collected from various locations. That means that they come holding numerous infections. Therefore, it is always common to find people who work in recycling companies or recycling sites contracting various contagious infections, including cholera and typhoid. There are also strong chemicals used to disinfect the wastes before they are recycled. These chemicals normally have a strong stench that irritates the nostrils and may cause problems in the breathing system of workers after some time.

Recycled Products are not Durable.

           When recycling products like metals, numerous scrap metals are smelted and reformed into other products. This means that the original quality of the product is partly lost. Similarly, when a conglomeration of plastics of various quality are smelted and used to make other products. The resultant products lose their value and are deemed cheaper in the market. That creates a significant loss for the recycling firm.

Similarly, the durability of recycled products is normally relatively low. That makes the consumers of these products lose value for their money. As a result, many people tend to shy away from recycled products. This, in return, derails the morale of recycling companies from investing further in the industry.

Recycling has not Been Widely Embraced.

           Another challenge that recycling products face is that it has not been widely embraced yet. Currently, recycling is widely used, mostly domestically. Some companies have also adopted product recycling though it has not been extensive. This makes most recyclable materials still find their way into the environment and create more pollution. Schools also practice bits of recycling. Thus, there is a need to educate society on the need to implement recycling at both industrial and domestic levels.

Environmental Impacts of Recycling In China

Recycling waste materials has also brought several environmental impacts to China. These include:

Reduced Air and Water Pollution

Research claims that the main cause of water pollution in the 20th and 21st centuries is waste disposal in the water bodies. These wasters include household refuses, hospital waste, and industrial waste materials. These waste products are normally connected to a sewerage system which consolidates the waste products to sewage, where they are treated and released into the waste bodies. However, there are times when people fail to treat such waste products. Thus, the results are that the untreated sewage matter causes contamination in the water bodies. This is harmful to the water creatures, human beings, and other animals that depend on water bodies for consumption. These, in return, lead to the spread of infections like typhoid and others in the human population. However, the increased use of recycling of waste materials means that only fewer toxic substances are released into the water bodies. That, in return, means that waters in China are extremely safe for human consumption and the survival of water creatures. Similarly, recycling waste materials means that most manufacturing companies do not indulge in excessive production of packaging materials which reduces smoke emissions to the atmosphere and has reduced air pollution in China.

Reduces Green House Gases

Greenhouse gasses are the gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere. These gasses include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor. When too much heat is trapped in the atmosphere, it gradual global warming. This further leads to side effects on earth like desertification and destruction of natural ground covering. Greenhouse gases are mainly produced by manufacturing companies and the burning of petroleum products. Thus, China was mainly affected since it is an industrialized country. That means that too many companies operate in China; as a result, Chinese industries and vehicles used to emit too many greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. This was until China passed the law on recycling products that reduced the production rate. In return, the emission of such gasses into the atmosphere has reduced in China significantly. Research thus indicates that the Chinees plastic recycling industry reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7.67 million tons in 2007 and 14.57 million tons in 2016. The figures continue to be better as each day pass.

Conserves Natural Resources

Research also indicates that recycling waste materials has helped conserve natural resources significantly for China. Natural resources, as explained earlier, are the resources that can be used for economic gain. Some natural resources include minerals, timbers, and many more in China. Recycling paper has helped to conserve the forest cover in China. For example, fewer trees are cut annually for a paper generation when China recycles paper. That, in collaboration with initiatives like planting more trees annually, has helped conserve some of the famous forest covers in China. As a result, China has succeeded in preventing climate change in most areas. The forest cover also helps minimize global warming since trees consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. That creates an atmospheric balance. Recycling waste materials in China has also helped to conserve Chinees mineral presence. Excessive mining is minimized because the existent metals are recycled even after turning o scraps through smelting. That has also resulted in reduced air pollution from gasses emissions into the atmosphere that originates from quarries.

Saves Energy

Recycling waste materials in China has also led to immense energy savings. The manufacturing companies often use energy from geothermal energy, hydroelectric energy, windmills, electric generators, burning petroleum products, and many more. However, the amount of energy required by manufacturing companies in China has reduced significantly due to the adoption of recycling of waste materials. For example, the bottling companies have reduced their energy consumption since they do not have to produce new bottles; instead, they only wash, sterilize, and reuse already produced bottles. The saved energy is hence supplied to the bigger Chinees population. In return, China boasts of being among the most lit countries worldwide.