GEF

Unit 10  |  Toward a Sustainable Future 219 Many countries have instituted successful aluminum collec- tion programs. According to the International Aluminum Institute, Sweden has an aluminum can collection rate of 91 percent, while Brazil has a collection rate of 98 percent. Plastic recycling also has many benefits. Because plastic is ultimately derived from crude oil, recycling plastic goods conserves this highly valuable non-renewable resource, saving almost 2,000 pounds of oil for every ton of plastic that is recycled. Unfortunately, most recycled products cannot be reused indefi- nitely. With repeated recycling, paper fibers lose their strength and eventually cannot be made into usable items. While many people may imagine that their recycled glass eventually ends up as bottles and jars, most glass is down cycled for low-grade uses, such as roadbeds, sandblasting materials, and landfill cover. Recycled plastic usually ends up as textiles, parking lot bumpers, or plastic lumber. Although recycling technology is improving and recycled materials are finding their way into more products, recycling should not be considered an environmental cure-all but rather as one component of sustainability. Some people suggest that individual purchases and life- style choices can’t have a significant effect on sustainability. However, there is evidence that public demand is influencing companies to design and sell products with consideration of environmental and social impacts. The more money consum- ers spend on sustainable products and services, the more such services will become mainstream, visible, and successful. 10.3  Sustainable Food Choices As consumers, one way we can impact sustainability is by making informed choices about the food we purchase and eat. For example, it takes approximately ten times the amount of energy to produce meat than to grow the equivalent calories of DOWN CYCLE A recycling practice that involves breaking an item down into its component elements or materials. Once the constituent elements or materials are recov- ered, they are reused, if possible, but usually as a lower-value product.