When you weigh all the benefits of recycling, the real question is why not recycle? When you consider its impact, the choice to recycle becomes more clear. Taking just a moment to put your newspaper, soda can, or milk jug in the recycling bin saves an invaluable amount of time for all of us in protecting us from environmental harm, overflowing landfills, and natural resource depletion. Click on the links below to learn more about why recycling is important for you and for the environment.
Click on a topic below to learn how recycling is important to everyone.
It almost always takes less energy and natural resources to make a product from recycled materials than it does to make it from new materials. Natural resources conserved through recycling include water, timber, and minerals. Here’s how recycling the different materials that Parkersburg Recycling accepts specifically helps save energy and resources:
Paper
The EPA has found that recycling a ton of paper takes 60% less energy than producing it from virgin tree pulp, 50% less water, and saves four barrels of oil. Preventing one ton of paper waste saves between 15 and 17 mature trees.
The EPA has found that recycling a ton of paper takes 60% less energy than producing it from virgin tree pulp, 50% less water, and saves four barrels of oil. Preventing one ton of paper waste saves between 15 and 17 mature trees.
Plastic
Recycling plastic takes 70% less energy needed than creating it from raw materials. Also, making new plastic requires significant amounts of fossil fuels. Studies suggest that between 7% and 8% of the world’s fossil fuels are used in producing new plastics.
Recycling plastic takes 70% less energy needed than creating it from raw materials. Also, making new plastic requires significant amounts of fossil fuels. Studies suggest that between 7% and 8% of the world’s fossil fuels are used in producing new plastics.
Glass
Recycling a glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours. Glass can be recycled an endless number of times, and recycling it takes 20% less energy than making it from sand, soda ash and limestone.
Recycling a glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours. Glass can be recycled an endless number of times, and recycling it takes 20% less energy than making it from sand, soda ash and limestone.
Aluminum
Because of the way aluminum is made, and because you can recycle it over and over, recycling it saves a lot of energy. Using recycled aluminum scrap to make new aluminum cans, for example, uses 95% less energy than making aluminum cans from bauxite ore, the raw material used to make aluminum.
Because of the way aluminum is made, and because you can recycle it over and over, recycling it saves a lot of energy. Using recycled aluminum scrap to make new aluminum cans, for example, uses 95% less energy than making aluminum cans from bauxite ore, the raw material used to make aluminum.
Steel
Recycling steel takes 75% less energy than to make steel from iron ore. When you recycle steel, you save precious resources that make up its composition such as iron, nickel and chromium.
Recycling steel takes 75% less energy than to make steel from iron ore. When you recycle steel, you save precious resources that make up its composition such as iron, nickel and chromium.
Every day people throw away trash. Some is recycled, but most of it will be picked up by garbage trucks and dropped into a landfill to move it away from the areas where people live and work. Given enough time, the trash will decay naturally in a process called biodegradation. But not everything in a landfill is biodegradable, and some things take a very long time to decay. For example, a glass bottle in a landfill will not decompose for over 4000 years. Recycling, however, conserves landfill space. For instance, did you know that recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space?
Since recycling reduces the amount of energy used by industry, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps prevent global warming. This is because much of the energy used in industrial processes and in transportation involves burning the most significant sources of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions into the environment: fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel and coal. Also, the energy conserved in recycling from burning less fossil fuel results in less water and air pollution.
Recycling is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for the economy. In fact, some recycling-based manufacturers create 60 times more employment positions on a per-ton basis than those created in maintaining landfills.
Recycling is not only good for the environment, it’s also easier on your wallet. On average, it costs $50 per ton to send trash to a landfill and up to $75 per ton to incinerate it. Compare those costs with the cost of recycling. Recycling only costs $30 per ton on average, saving you hard-earned dollars.
Litter can be very harmful to wildlife. Animals can be injured or killed by the trash we throw away, especially because some types of litter take years to disintegrate. Birds, fish, and mammals, for example, may be ensnared by plastic six-pack holders. The openings of jars left on the ground can trap the heads of small animals that search for food. Recycling helps reduce litter and, thus, helps prevent harm to animals’ natural habitats and well-being.
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© Parkersburg Recycling, City of Sanitation Department, 100 24th St, Parkersburg, WV
P 304.424.8570 F 304.424.3969 Click here to email us!
© Parkersburg Recycling, City of Sanitation Department, 100 24th St, Parkersburg, WV
P 304.424.8570 F 304.424.3969 Click here to email us!
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