The Clean Air Act curbed burning of garbage due to the harmful effects to the air that we breathe. By recycling and reusing material, we can curtail the amount of waste going into our landfills and the amount of toxic air going into our lungs. Each local program offers ways to recycle waste materials. One type of recycling program is curbside collection. This is most effective for residential recycling because of convenience.
Residents leave their recyclable material on their curbs for pickup.
Approximately half of the curbside programs around the country are mandatory, and some may involve fees. Another type of program is a drop-off site. These are normally used by rural communities and rely mostly on voluntary participation, which does not ensure success. Another alternative approach is a buy-back center. This is where people can bring recyclable material and receive monetary compensation.