Driving through neighborhoods and seeing the blue recycling bin upright next to the green trash will no longer be happening as the topic of recycling is slowly dying. The people who separate their cans and plastic from the typical trash have to switch it back up. A way of helping the earth we live on is now coming to an end, the city of Pembroke Pines is putting a stop to recycling but is it really the best decision? Most people know that recycling helps in many ways such as reducing landfills, preventing pollution and even conserving energy, therefore, the idea of stopping it is almost insane. 

   The more thoughts put into the scenario the more possible outcomes, from the city of Pembroke Pines recycling pamphlet, “10%-40% of recycled items are contaminated therefore they aren’t considered recyclable” which does sound like a lot but it’s not even half of the waste. About 60% of the recycled goods are therefore being put into the typical garbage overfilling the landfills and polluting our lakes and oceans. The overall idea of recycling is a way to help the world we live in and creating this big change of discontinuing it seems like a drastic idea. Allessandra Nunez, a Junior, who has recycled her whole life told us how the change is affecting her day to day life “ All these  years I’ve been separating my plastic bottles and now having just one garbage, it doesn’t feel normal. Every time I throw the plastic into the green bin I feel as if I’m betraying the earth.” 

   The statistics will soon show if Pembroke Pines stopping recycling was the best decision or not, the plan set is to up multiple processing facilities around Pembroke Pines and this way it’ll be more convenient for people to help with the incineration process. They are stopping the pick up from the blue bins but have hope that in the future sometime that recycling can return in a more convenient way. After learning more about why recycling is being stopped and the logic behind it Omar Samuel had a strong opinion on what should have happened “More thought should have been put behind what is really affecting the world we live in, focusing on something as small as recycling when it is already a solution to pollution is not the right idea.” The conversation of recycling can go on and on but the main question will always be are we doing it right? But unfortunately stopping it completely is an out of proportion answer.  As recycling is a way to keep the environment clean the long term effect does not seem like it’s going to end well.