The secret of writing a great argumentative essay on recycling

Recycling is one of those topics that the majority of people take for granted as a positive action, but it’s still a debatable topic, and arguments for and against it do exist. While many people can see the environmental benefits of recycling, there are other factors at play. As with all argumentative essays, you will take a stance and state your thesis, and work towards supporting it with evidence, while refuting counterarguments.

Let’s take a look at some of the arguments for and against recycling, because depending on your stance, they will make up either your arguments or your counterarguments.

Arguments for recycling:

  1. Recycling saves energy.
  2. Less waste in landfills, so less toxic pollution.
  3. Less water pollution when recycling and air pollution from incinerators etc.
  4. Trees are preserved as less need to be cut down.
  5. Natural resources are protected because recycled materials are used instead.
  6. Helps keep global warming under control.
  7. Job creation and economic benefits.

Arguments against recycling:

  1. Inconvenience, lack of time and space.
  2. No immediate incentive or obvious benefit.
  3. “It doesn’t make a difference if one person recycles.”
  4. It’s too complicated.
  5. It costs more money to recycle.
  6. Transporting materials, and recycling them, causes pollution.
  7. Recycling is a short-term fix that doesn’t address the real issues.

Preparing to write your essay

  1. When preparing to write your essay, you should thoroughly research the recycling process in order to have a well formed opinion on the positives and negatives.
  2. Ask questions during your research and try to find something that you think is often overlooked or misunderstood. Review common questions as well, and aim to offer a different approach or insight in your responses.
  3. Explore conflicting opinions that people have about recycling and attempt to resolve them.
  4. Choose your position and with the help of the questions and conflicts you have asked yourself about, come up with a thesis statement and supporting evidence to go with it.
  5. Contact or visit a recycling facility or speak with an environmental group to gain a better understanding of the issues. Present your questions to them and use their answers for inspiration.

Now it’s time to actually write your essay! Present the issue in a well-rounded and balanced manner, but let the reader clearly know which side you are on by the end, and which side they should be on. Investigate and argue.

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