maintain navigation channels and berthing areas. Other materials that are
disposed of in the oceans include fish wastes, human remains, and vessels.
Certain materials, such as high-level radioactive waste, medical waste,
sewage sludge, and industrial waste, may not be dumped in the ocean.RELEVANT LAW
MARINE PROTECTION, RESEARCH, AND SANCTUARIES ACT
(OCEAN DUMPING ACT) (1972): This act prohibits the dumping of
material into the ocean that would unreasonably degrade or endanger human
health or the marine environment. Twenty countries are responsible for more
than 80% of the plastic going into the ocean annually. China dumps about 2.4
million tons while the United States dumps about 750,000 pounds.RECYCLING
Recycling involves treating or processing used or waste materials so as to make
them suitable for reuse.
Closed-loop recycling is a production system in which the waste or by-
product of one process or product is used in making another product (e.g.,
recycling waste newspaper to make paper-board or other types of paper).
Open-loop recycling is the conversion of material from one or more
products into a new product, involving a change in the inherent properties of the
material itself—typically to a lower-quality product material (e.g., recycling
flexible plastic bottles into rigid plastic drainage pipes).
Pros
■ Recycling turns waste into an inexpensive resource.
■ Recycling reduces the impact on landfills.
■ Recycling reduces the need for raw materials and the costs associated
with them.
■ Recycling reduces energy requirements to produce products (e.g.,
recycling aluminum cuts energy use by 95% and producing steel from
scrap reduces energy requirements by 75%).