7 Reasons Why You Should Recycle

Even though most people think that one person can’t make a difference in the world, it isn’t true when it comes to recycling. One person can make a lot of difference and save the planet at the same time by recycling waste products.

An American produces approximately 1600 pounds of waste each year of which at least 1100 pounds of solid waste could be recycled. For example, a family of four can easily reduce waste by over two tons each year by recycling. Recycling is something free and easy to do every day.

Whether you recycle plastic, plastic bags, plastic bottles, recycle clothes or any other waste items, you get a chance to reduce environmental pollution and save the planet. This article provides information on 7 reasons why you should recycle.

1. Lessens The Burden On Landfills

If you wonder about the reasons why you should recycle, there are many of them, and lessening the burden on landfills is one of the most important reasons to recycle.

The EPA states that the United States is currently able to keep approximately 35% of its trash out of landfills through recycling and composting. That’s a good start when it comes to protecting our resources.

For example, all the items that we produce are made from limited resources. So we need to protect our dwindling natural resources for the future generation by recycling as much waste as possible.

In fact, more than 75% of the trash that ends up in landfills can be recycled. If everyone took the time to recycle their waste, we would need 60-75% less land space for garbage in the future.

2. Reduces Carbon Emissions

Did you know that recycling helps reduce greenhouse gases or carbon emissions? Most people agree that we need to do our part to save the planet from global warming.

For example, a company that uses recycled aluminum saves up to 95% of the energy that’s required to produce new aluminum from raw materials.

On the other hand, we can save 17 whole trees by recycling a ton of paper. Did you know that a tree can remove at least 250 pounds of CO2 from the air each year? Hence, recycling will not only save energy but help combat carbon emissions, too.

3. Reduces Air Pollution

When companies choose to recycle clothing, paper, metal, or recycle glass instead of using raw materials, they drastically reduce the amounts of toxins released to the environment.

On the other hand, when processing these materials in their raw form, they release a significant amount of carbon emissions to the environment. When you recycle these materials, companies can easily find quality recycled products to use in their factories. You participate in saving the planet by giving these companies recycled products to manufacture their items.

When companies manufacture their products with recycled materials, they help save on water and energy while preventing air and water pollution. Recycling reduces air pollution caused by burnt fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gases by saving energy.

By reducing power demand, recycling also helps improve the air quality of the planet. The whole planet will breathe fresh and clean air when more and more people decide to recycle waste products.

4. Improves The Quality Of Groundwater

Garbage that collects in landfills can affect the quality of local groundwater. Most of the time, garbage is thrown into a big hole and buried underground without any kind of treatment.

Much of the garbage thrown into landfills are not eco-friendly or biodegradable. All the toxins in the garbage can easily get into our underground water streams. For example, runoff water from the landfills across the country makes its way into rivers, lakes, ponds, and water streams due to rain and floods.

The earth’s fresh water supply becomes dangerous to the health and well-being of humans due to this reason. Recycling helps prevent such occurrences and improves the quality of groundwater over time.

5. Increases Energy Efficiency

If you are looking for more reasons why you should recycle, you should know that it takes 64% more energy to make paper from raw materials compared to recycling and reusing waste paper.

On the other hand, it takes twice the energy to burn plastic than to recycle it. If you are able to recycle one pound of steel, you can save enough energy to operate a 60-watt bulb for a whole day. Just imagine how much energy we could save when all this adds up!

Recycling saves energy by eliminating the need to make materials from scratch. Making products from scratch is energy and labor-intensive.

When manufacturers use recycled materials instead of raw materials, they can make the same products with less energy. Since recycled materials are already refined and processed, manufacturing is much less energy-intensive.

6. Increases Property Value

Communities that recycle help reduce the requirement for landfills. People don’t like to live near a smelly garbage dump. Hence, landfills naturally lower property values in the area.

The more you recycle, the fewer garbage dumps your city will need. Recycling helps increase the property values in the area, and the entire community will benefit from it. You only need to spend a little time each week to separate and recycle your trash, and your efforts will eventually pay off for everyone in the community.

7. Leads To The Creation Of New Jobs

If the act of recycling is ramped up, new recycling plants will be set up across the country. Did you know that recycling could create ten times more employment opportunities compared to landfill waste management?

For example, recycling 14,000 tons of trash helps create 9 new jobs, and composting the trash helps create 7 new jobs. On the other hand, landfilling your trash helps create only 1 new job. That is why you need to start recycling your trash without further delay.

By recycling, you can reduce the amount of waste in landfills and oceans. Recycling is something free and easy to do every day. Whether you recycle plastics, clothing, or any other item, it makes a difference for yourself and all future generations on earth. Why don’t we switch over to renewable energy sources like solar power?

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