ARTICLE ONE

Why Is Recycling So Important?

Posted by: Alex Schenker Updated: September 10, 2014 in Recycling 63 Comments
Why Recycling is Important
There are many good reasons for adding recycling to your routine, ranging from a
personal level to a global advantage.
Recycling your waste makes you more responsible in the way you use and dispose of it. It
is evident from studies that people who do this instinctively cut down on buying
unwanted things from the supermarket. They think of how to dispose of the packaging or
the product after use before even buying it. As a result, people end up saving a
considerable amount of money while also saving the planet.
Individuals, governing bodies and companies can take pride in minimizing their waste as
they are helping to reduce global environmental damage and making this earth a better
place on which to live. It is a direct contribution that every one can take price in.
Recycling Creates Jobs
Apart from the environmental benefits, think of the employment that it can generate.
When you put your waste in different bins for paper, plastics, glass and so on, the
contents of each are further segregated and taken to recycling plants. The man power
involved in the logistics and processing of your waste is considerable and thus you are
helping to keep them in jobs and aid in welfare of their families. What could be more
appropriate in tough economic times as now to create and keep people employed?
The danger of global climate change has forced us to take drastic measures to cut down
on pollution levels to slow down if not eradicate this phenomenon. In view of this,
ambitious but necessary targets for recycling are also being set by governments around
the world.
To meet these targets, more and more people must take action regularly. As a result, the
amount of waste reaching the landfill sites is reduced and the quantity of land fill sites is
reduced. Hence better land use for other constructive purposes is ensured.
Trash Creates Pollution
Incineration of waste from land fill sites is a common way of destruction of waste. But we
have to remind ourselves of the emissions that result from the incineration. Some times
the heat generated is used to generate electrical power (waste to energy plants) to offset
the damage and minimize the carbon footprint.
Even though this sounds positive, there are concerns about the type of waste being
incinerated and if it has any toxic effects on the surrounding areas.
You are Paying for Your Own Waste
Landfill sites are taxed and there are fines for exceeding limits of disposal at one time in
many regions. Such costs are passed onto the taxpayer. An example of this pass-through
tax would be increased city council taxes. Recycling minimizes these additional landfill
costs to a great extent.

Recycling Helps Build Communities

That is not all of the advantages of recycling. Many charities and community groups raise
money through reusing and recycling goods. Your city has many charity shops (like
Goodwill and the Salvation Army) that will take your unwanted clothes, electronics,
furniture and other household items to resell as income for these non-profit organizations
and these donations are also tax deductible for you. Other not-for-profit charities can be
found who will pass such clothing and other items onto underdeveloped communities
around the globe. So, think of the people in need in your local community and in other
nations before you shove off all those unused or unwanted stuff into the trashcan next
time.
Recycling Reduces Toxic E-Waste
When we talk about recycling household and work place things, we tend to ignore or are
less aware of how to deal with the electrical and electronic waste (sometimes called ewaste). E-waste is valuable as a source of secondary raw material but also toxic if
disposed of improperly. Due to rapid technology change, obsolescent items have created
a fast growing mass of electronic waste around the globe.
In order to reduce this, working TVs, monitors, computers, cell phones, batteries and
other consumer electronics can be sold or donated, thereby prolonging their useful life.
Some new regulations, for example, the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment) Directive in the European Union makes businesses, manufacturers and
retailers of electrical and electronics equipment responsible for making sure their goods
do not end up in landfill or incineration, where the toxic chemicals, metals and associated
solders, glues and plastics can cause both environmental and health problems.
Repurposing electronic equipment involves dismantling of parts into metals, plastics and
so on and individually processing them depending on the available technology.
In view of reducing environmental pollution and cutting down energy consumption,
recycling is an important step to undertake. A sustainable lifestyle is the need of the
times and we can very well adopt such beneficial changes in our daily life.
One Mans Waste Can be Another Mans Treasure
Hopefully this article has helped you realize just how important your efforts are. Not just
to us, but to our kids, grand kids, and anyone that follows in our footsteps. Take care of
your planet, and it will take care of you.
From http://www.earthsfriends.com/why-recycling-important/

ARTICLE 2
Benefits of Recycling
The recycling industry has become more sophisticated in its ability to cost-effectively collect, clean and
remanufacture recycled goods. Today many items are made from recycled materials including:

Newspapers and other paper

Paper towels and other household and office paper products

Plastic laundry product bottles

Glass soft drink bottles

Aluminum and steel cans

Plastic bottles and jars

Glass tiles

Recovered glass in roadway asphalt

Recovered wood in hardwood floors

Recovered plastic in benches, yard dcor and carpets

Save Energy and Resources

Much of the energy and resources that are used to initially process a raw material only need to be used once
when the raw materials are recycled and reused This saves both energy and resources. For example:

According to recycling-revolution.com, making recycled raw materials takes less energy than
processing the original raw materials:

Making recycled aluminum saves 95 percent of the energy usually used to make aluminum
from raw materials.

Recycled steel uses 60 percent less energy

Recycled newspaper uses 40 percent less energy

Recycled plastics use 70 percent less energy

Recycled glass uses 40 percent less energy

Every ton of paper made from recycled materials saves 17 trees, about 450 gallons of oil and about
seven gallons of water. Every ton of plastic that is recycled saves the equivalent energy of 1,000 to
2,000 of gasoline. Source: HCDoes.org

Save Forests
The recycling of paper products can have a major effect on the number of trees that have to be cut each year. A
county environmental services department in New York projects a huge savings in the number of trees that
would not need to be cut down if newspapers and junk mail were recycled:

Over 40,000 trees could be saved if all morning newspapers in the United States were recycled for one
day.

Up to 150,000 trees could be saved if as few as 100,000 people put themselves on a Do Not Mail list to
stop receiving junk mail.

Save Water
Water recycling is the reuse of tap water in our homes and water that has been "reclaimed" from sewage and
treated. This type of recycled water is not used for drinking water, but it is commonly used in industrial
processes, construction activities, agriculture and landscape irrigation as well as watering public parks and golf
courses.
Every gallon of water that is recycled is one less gallon that needs to come from rivers, lakes and ground water
sources.
Decrease the Size of Landfills
The amount of municipal solid waste - commonly called trash - rose 60 percent from 1980 to 2005. It probably
would have risen even higher if many states didn't start to set aggressive goals in 1989 to reduce the amount of
garbage going into their landfills. Some states have set goals to reduce the amount they add to their landfills by
40 to 50 percent. Recycling is one of the most effective ways to reduce our reliance on landfills. Cities, counties
and states have set up recycling programs to capture bottles, cans and paper that were previously dumped into
the garbage. These programs have resulted in nearly 70 million tons of materials being diverted away annually
from landfills.
Decrease Pollution
Manufacturing products from recycled materials often generate less air and water pollution than what would
have been generated when the product was made from the original materials. For example, making recycled
paper creates 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less water pollution than making paper directly from
trees.
Using products made from recycled materials can also generate less pollution. An automobile made from
recycled aluminum is lighter than an automobile made from steel. This results in the need for less gasoline to
power the car and a resulting decrease in air pollution.
Reduce Reliance on Imported Oil
The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 200 million gallons of used motor oil is
thrown away by people who change their car's oil at home. Oil can cause environmental damage and health
hazards when it is poured into the sewer system or onto the ground.
Motor oil gets dirty but it does not wear out. Used oil can be recycled, cleaned and then used again. Check with
your local garbage company to learn how you can recycle used oil from your oil changes. If they do not accept
used oil, ask for a location where you can drop off your oil for recycling. You can often bring your used oil to an
automobile repair shop for recycling, however, they may charge you a fee for the recycling service.

Environmental Protection
Electronics, batteries, solvents and oils can all leech harmful chemicals and gasses into the ground or air if
discarded into a landfill. Specialized recycling programs are available to deal with these items either through safe
destruction or reuse. Electronics are usually broken down to their essential elements with harmful components
destroyed safely and other components recycled for reuse. In some cases, electronics are refurbished and reused.
From http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Benefits_of_Recycling

ARTICLE 3
Benefits of recycling
On this page:

Recycling saves resources

Recycling saves energy

Recycling helps protect the environment

Recycling reduces incineration

Waste that is not separated for recycling is incinerated at the Waste Plant. Although we generate
electricity from burning rubbish, incineration creates ash which must be disposed of and releases
gases into the atmosphere.
By reducing your waste and recycling as much as possible, you will be helping to reduce the
production of ash and gas from the Energy from Waste Plant and saving the worlds precious
resources.
Recycling saves resources
When we recycle, used materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume
natural resources.
If used materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw materials from the
earth, through mining and forestry. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects
natural habitats for the future.
Recycling saves energy

Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that
required for producing new products from raw materials even when comparing all associated costs
including transport etc.
There are also extra energy savings because more energy is required to extract, refine, transport and
process raw materials ready for industry, compared with providing industry-ready materials.
Recycling helps protect the environment
Recycling reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw
materials. All of these create substantial air and water pollution.
As recycling saves energy it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate
change.
Recycling reduces incineration
When we recycle, recyclable materials are reprocessed into new products, and as a result the amount
of rubbish sent for incineration reduces.
Burning your rubbish creates ash which is difficult to dispose of and gases which are released into the
atmosphere.
From
https://www.gov.je/Environment/WasteReduceReuseRecycle/WhyRecycle/Pages/Benefits.a
spx

ARTICLE 4
Are Benefits of Recycling Worth All The Effort?
A common symbol that can be seen on garbage bags, dump trucks and trash cans is of recycling. The phrase
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is taught to children all over the world in the hope of creating a clean environment. We
all know that recycling is a simple way in which every person can contribute to making a better world. But
surely there must be more benefits of recycling than just reducing the amount of trash we throw out. After all, it
takes time and effort to collect, separate and send away the trash. But the fact is that there are many ways in
which this process makes for a better and happier world.
Benefits of Recycling
Reduce the Size of Landfills: One of the biggest reasons why recycling has been promoted is that it does reduce
the strain on our environment. By utilizing waste products in a constructive way, we can slowly decrease the size
of our landfills. As the population grows, it will become difficult for the landfills to hold so much and trash.
When this happens, our cities and beautiful landscapes will face pollution, poisoning and many health problems.
The benefits of recycling are that it helps to keep the pollution in check and decrease it little by little.
Conserve Natural Resources: Scrap cars, old bottles, junk mail and used rubber tyres are becoming common
features of our landfills. All of these may seem endless, but the resources required to make them are finishing off
quickly. Recycling allows all of these junk items to be used over and over again so that new resources do not
have to be exploited. It conserves natural resources such as water, minerals, coal, oil, gas and timber. Another
one of the benefits of recycling is that it allows more emphasis to be put on creating technology to utilize what
already exists. This is why a number of industries support programs where they can receive large quantities of
recyclable material to convert into new items.

More Employment Opportunities: While you may feel that recycling is each person for himself, in reality it is
a huge industry within itself. After you do the basic sorting out and deposit your trash for recycling, it has to be
sorted and shipped off to the right places. This is done by thousands of workers, who are newly employed by the
growing industry. Certainly, one of the major benefits of recycling is that it creates more jobs in the community
and provides stability to the entire process. Throwing the trash away creates some six to seven jobs at best,
where recycling can help create close to thirty jobs.
Offers Cash Benefits: Recycling is not all about being charitable and doing what is good for the environment. If
it were so, everybody would recycle out of the goodness of their hearts. Most governments have policies in place
which give financial benefits to those who recycle. People that take the aluminum cans or glass bottles to the
recycling plant, get a cash benefit in return. In fact, many teenagers can pick up recycling as a way to make extra
money on the side. Old newspapers, appliances, plastic, rubber, steel, copper and even beer cans can be sold for
money.
Saves Money: An unexpected place where the benefits of recycling can be seen is our economy. A strong
economy is one that is efficient in nature. What drags it down is having to pay for resources that are growing
scarce in the country. Every bit of recycling counts when the economy does not have to pay for planting more
forests, mining iron ore or purchasing fossil fuels from other countries. When the jobs increase, the economy
gets a boost. As the cost of maintaining the current waste disposal system go down, all the money saved is
diverted to where it is need the most.
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: When you recycle products, you tend to save energy which results in less
greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases are primarily responsible for increase in global warming. It helps to
reduce air and water pollution by cutting down the number of pollutants that are released into the environment. A
recycling rate of 30% can is almost equivalent of removing 30 million cars from the roads.
Saves Energy: When you recycle aluminum cans, you can save 95% of the energy required to produce those
cans from raw materials, energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for four
hours. This clearly shows how much energy can be saved if recycling is taken on a larger scale. With this, the
reliance on foreign oil is reduced which also helps you to save money in long run.
Stimulate the Use of Greener Technologies: With use of more recycling products, it has pushed people towards
more greener technologies. Use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal is on rise which has
helped to conserve energy and reduce pollution.
Bring Different Groups and Communities Together: At the end of the day, recycling is an act that can bring a
community together. Whether it is by picking up trash from the roads or collecting waste materials to raise
money for schools and colleges. Many simple programs that make a community stronger can be built upon the
many benefits of recycling. Many people have found that their collective efforts in proper waste disposal have
made their towns cleaner and happier. Others have found friends and supporters in their mission to change the
world. In fact, it is one the best ways to teach children about responsibility and taking an initiative.
Prevents Loss of Biodiversity: Less raw material is needed when you engage yourself in recycling products.
The beauty of recycling is that it will help you to conserve resources and prevents loss of biodiversity,
ecosystems and rainforests. Mining activities will reduce which is considered as dangerous for mine workers.
Soil erosion and water pollution will be reduced which in turn will protect native plants and animals to survive in
forests. Deforestation, which is on rise these days will significantly reduce if recycling is considered seriously by
majority of people.
From http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/benefits-of-recycling.php