According to studies, climate change is one of the biggest concerns people have for the future of our planet. Recycling is one of the many ways consumers can try and contribute to the fight against climate change.
But how does recycling help prevent climate change?
Let’s go through why recycling is important for our society.
1. Recycling Saves Space
Obviously, the most important reason recycling is important is to benefit our environment. Recycling makes it so we’re not throwing out as many items, which helps save room in our landfills.
That means we don’t need to waste as much space as a literal trash can. It also means there’s more room on the planet for the natural environment to remain intact.
Recycling in the United States prevented around 69 million tons of garbage from ending up in landfills in 2018. That’s a pretty big number, considering that most solid waste in the United States doesn’t get recycled. If more people recycled, this number could rise.
Saving space by recycling is becoming even more important as the population of the planet continues to grow. The more people there are, the more different products we use. And, the more that we use, the more waste we create.
Also, as the population grows, we need more room on the earth to live and work. Recycling helps combat the problem of population growth on multiple fronts.
2. Recycling Reduces The Need For Materials
When we buy things, it increases the demand for those products. Then, more resources have to be created or extracted to make those items. When we recycle, it reduces the need for materials, which puts less strain on nonrenewable resources.
For example, when you recycle paper, less wood needs to be chopped down. That allows for more forests to remain intact.
Recycling allows habitats to be protected, which allows animals and natural environments to continue to thrive.
If you run a business, recycling also has benefits for your production and commercial needs.
3. Recycling Saves Energy
It may surprise you to know that the recycling process actually saves energy. That’s because it takes less energy to recycle than it does to create all new materials. Creating new products uses a ton of resources and labor.
According to the EPA, recycling one ton of plastic saves 5,774 kilowatt-hours of energy, recycling one ton of aluminum saves 14,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, and recycling one ton of glass saves 42 kilowatt-hours of energy.
When you create new products, you have to use energy to extract new materials, and use the energy to manufacture and distribute the product. When you recycle, you save the energy needed to acquire materials.
Why Recycling Is Important: Many Reasons
Clearly, there are tons and tons of different answers to the question, “why recycling is important?”. Regularly recycling is one of the best ways you can help keep our planet alive and stop the spread of climate change. So why not get started?
Are you interested in doing more to help boost recycling in the world? Read more about Lampmaster today.