Recycling is a responsibility we all as humans must take up in order for us to make our world a safe haven, and that's because when it comes to protecting our environment, we must see it as a shared responsibility that's not only aimed at making our environment neat but also at safeguarding ourselves from the negative effect of leaving our waste to roam around our street, ocean, and the like. But then, given the importance of recycling and the impact it makes, should it be made compulsory by the government for all individuals?
Without a doubt we all know that recycling helps reduce waste and limit the amount of rubbish in our waterways, such as gutters, and overall it helps conserve resources. But then, even though it's a good thing to do and can be considered a noble cause, I don't think it should be made mandatory by the government, because governments, after all, are the ones who allow these to thrive, and had they placed a ban on certain products packaged in plastic, we wouldn't be in this mess today, so rather than making it compulsory for everyone to do, they should look for other ways to encourage people to partake in recycling activities. Besides, making it compulsory can raise questions about people's privacy, freedom, and proportionality.
The best way to go about this is basically to encourage people on the importance of recycling and the need to collectively join hands in doing it as people who want the best for themselves. And that's why encouragement is the way to go, encouraging responsible waste disposal. Encouragement can be done in many ways, for instance, creating awareness about the dangers of improper waste disposal and the benefits of proper waste disposal and recycling, and rather than trying to punish those who don't properly dispose of waste, the government should create a kind of incentive system for those who partake in the journey towards making our environment safe again.
Take for instance we've seen nations that build different waste collector machines in different parts of the society, and when you take your waste to this machine, you get a kind of incentive in the form of cash or a coupon that can be used to get anything you want. Doing this has led to many delving actively into the waste disposal business, whereby they literally go into different places where rubbish is to gather them so as to take it to the machine and get paid, and even though they're doing it for the money, they're still indirectly cleaning the environment and making waste recycling possible.
Even though I said government shouldn't punish people for not participating in recycling activities, this does mean people should not face consequences for irresponsible waste disposal. Take, for instance, at least it's well known that as citizens we must dispose of our waste properly, so we won't let our community just because we want to dispose of waste, nor should one be engaging in waste burning that gives room for hazardous carbon into our air/environment. So when someone doesn't dispose of waste properly, let them face the wrath of the law, if it's a fine or jail time. I remember seeing someone get arrested in Lagos a few months ago for driving to a part of the road, parking his vehicle, and disposing of his waste by the roadside. Thankfully, he was recorded by a concerned citizen, which led to the man's arrest.
So that's the way to go. When we know that the fate of our society is in our hands, we'll be able to take responsibility and partake in everything that makes our environment clean and allows recycling to be done easily. And one way to go about it is that it doesn't end with you personally disposing of your own waste properly; also encourage others to do the same, and when you notice someone doing the opposite, cry out so that they'll know what you're doing is wrong and can be collectively chastised by the community people or allowed to face the consequences of their actions.
All photos are downloaded on canva app.
