OPINION: It Takes Two to Save the Planet…and Maybe a Little Bit More

By Joiya Reid

Businesses, we need your help. You are as much responsible for the well being of our planet as your consumers. Meanwhile consumers, including myself, are responsible for making demands that change the way these institutions work. Remember, they want and need our money. Recycling, for example, is a business that relies on markets willing to buy recycled commodities, and consumers are able to strengthen that business by buying and demanding those recyclable goods. Businesses, on the other hand, it’s time to shift towards more environmentally friendly policies.

Money is key, and capitalism and consumerism are important building blocks to the foundation of the U.S. economy. We’re so adamant about chasing success that we’re willing to bulldoze, and I mean literally bulldoze, our way through resources and red flags when they appear. Humans may be at the top of the food chain, but it seems like the only other beings we’re hunting are ourselves. Money is power and those with it have the potential to make real and significant change.

Fortunately, there are some industries leading by example and making environmental initiatives, like recycling, attainable and viable. An article posted on Greenbiz.com broke down how recycling is still profitable and obtainable, even if the demand for recyclable commodities, like glass, decreases. One of the methods to still profit on recyclable goods is for the glass industry to create a market for recyclable glass that would pay more than the cost of processing glass or the companies, municipalities, and the recycling companies should be reimbursed for the cost of processing glass by the glass industry. However, something like this would require a change in industrial foundation. 

Then the question becomes: are companies willing to make that change? The reassuring part of all this is that like Sioneer and Momentum Recycling are working to create those markets for recyclable glass. The benefit of what these companies are doing is that they add to the circular economy system through which resources are reused to help eliminate waste from the system. 

We’ve heard time and time again that we are running out of time to get on track. Every second that ticks by is another that we are losing the chance to set things right. Our planet is in need of a promise for longevity. Obviously, companies have various things to manage and consider, and, while sustainability may not be at the top of the list, it is important. According to an article on the Guardian, businesses have a dual role of helping the economy through employing people and helping improve sustainability.

There are always alternatives and, even if the short-term costs are less than attractive, the long-term benefits and cost will be well worth it in the end. The benefit to the companies is that having recyclable goods gives them a competitive advantage. As Americans, we also look at other countries and think: why can’t we do that? Yes, a big hang up is resources, but another is our own resistance to change.

It takes a combined effort. We have to work together to demand more and supply more. We can do this, little by little. It takes tiny steps to make a huge impact on our earth, and future generations need us to be the spark that starts a fire.