Why is it important to recycle?
为什么回收利用垃圾很重要？
There are many reasons.
有很多原因。
Recycling is one way to keep waste out of landfills.
回收利用垃圾是不让垃圾进入填埋场的一种方法。
Landfills are places to dump waste.
垃圾填埋场是倒垃圾的地方。
But they are unpopular.
但它们不受欢迎。
Because they can pollute the soil used to cover them and that's bad for people who may build new homes there.
因为它们会污染用来覆盖的土壤，这样对于可能要在那儿盖新房子的人不好。
Recycling also reuses valuable raw materials, such as aluminum and paper.
回收利用还将重新利用有价值的原材料，如铝和纸张。
Finally, recycling can leave a lower garbage bill.
最后，回收可以使处理垃圾的费用降低。
Recycling lowers the amount of waste put into landfills, therefore, less money is spent for garbage disposal.
回收减少了垃圾填埋场的垃圾量，因此垃圾处理的花费就少了。
How has recycling changed over the years?
过去的这些年里，回收发生了什么变化？
Ten or twenty years ago, you could buy milk in returnable, refillable, glass bottles, and many people recycled voluntarily.
十或二十年前，你可能会买可回收、可重复充填的玻璃瓶装的牛奶，很多人会自觉回收利用。
Now you buy milk and other products in plastic bottles or paper containers.
现在你会买塑料瓶或纸制容器装的牛奶及其它产品。
Because of the high cost of disposing of these things in landfills,
由于用垃圾填埋场处理这些垃圾的成本高，
many city governments now have recycling programs.
现在许多城市的政府都有回收垃圾的安排。
How does recycling help the environment?
回收怎样有助于环保？
Recycling helps the environment mainly by saving energy.
主要通过节约能源。
For example, it takes 95 percent less energy to produce recycled aluminum than to produce new aluminum.
例如，生产再生铝比生产新铝所用能源少了95%。
Can one person really make a difference?
一个人真的能产生影响吗？
If only a few people recycle, then what's the point?
如果只有少数人回收垃圾，有什么意义呢？
If not you, then who?
如果你不这么做，那谁会这样做呢？
If we combine our efforts, we can make a difference.
如果我们一起努力，就能起作用。
Each of us contributes to the waste problem.
我们每个人都来对解决垃圾问题做贡献。
All the millions of tons of waste that go into landfills started as an old pair of slippers,
被送到垃圾填埋场的成百万吨垃圾开始时是某人家的一双旧拖鞋，
a broken TV set, or a used magazine that came from somebody's house — maybe yours!
一台坏了的电视机，或一本旧杂志，可能就是你的！