History of Recycling
Recycling might seem like a recent development. Today, more and more people are turning to it and making it a part of their lifestyle. However,
few would know that the act of recycling has been in existence for a very long time now.
Since historic times, people have been recycling. According to some studies, this dates back as far as 400 BC, or even earlier. There is archaeological evidence that shows that glass from Byzantine times was recycled and used in the city of Sagalassos, which is now located in Turkey. Even the early Romans would recycle bronze coins into statues and sell them at a higher rate than the original coins.
During wartimes, metals from jewellery and coins were recast into weapons, or shields. Even pottery was recycled. During the time of distress, like widespread illness and famine, people always turned to recycling to make full use of the limited resources they had.
Prior to the industrial revolution, reusing and recycling was a common practice, especially in households. Mass production of items did not take place, and products were a lot more difficult to get hold of. In such cases, it was much cheaper for people to try and manage with what they had, instead of buying something new. When these items were of no use completely, they were recycled into newer products. Evidence shows that in Europe, scrap bronze and other metals were melted and reused quite often.
With the arrival of industrialization, it became very easy and cheap to manufacture products. Plastic was used more than glass, which made items lighter, and thus more appealing. These products were also easy to dispose of, which meant that people didn’t take too much effort in holding on and reusing things. This is when the recycling culture lost some of its popularity.
However, whenever there has been any sort of trouble in the economy, people have tried to make the best of the resources they have available. War time has especially seen the rise of recycling. During the World Wars, resources were scarce. People of all the countries involved were asked to donate any metals they had, and conserve fibre, as a matter of patriot loyalty. In 1939, a programme called Paper Salvage was carried out in Britain to encourage people to recycle as a means to aid in the war. Even after the war, these practices carried on in countries with limited resources, such as Japan.
The recycling culture gained popularity in the 1970s. This was because of rising energy costs. People recognized how the energy used to create recycled materials was much less than that needed for virgin products. This helped save energy significantly.
Since then, the culture is becoming more and more popular, with people recycling paper, plastic, metals, glass and much more. Recycling was the solution of the past, which still holds true today, and we must practice it.
