The call to recycle is one that is growing in urgency year on year with its importance clearer than ever. Governments, and even corporate organisations, have joined the cause by investing in resources and incentives to make it easier and cheaper to recycle.
If you are someone that doesn’t take recycling seriously or has never considered recycling at all, here are ten reasons why you should start…
It Reduces Waste
The world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. Most of this waste goes to landfills where it releases harmful C02 into the atmosphere whilst it decomposes over a number of years.
By recycling, you can play your part in reducing the waste that ends up in landfills with countries like Germany and South Korea managing to recycle up to 70% of their waste every year.
It Contributes To Circular Economy
Recycling enables used materials to go back into a closed-loop production keeping them in circulation within society and diverting them from the bin for as long as possible.
There are several benefits to a circular economy all of which lead to positive impacts on the environment. So, as long as you keep on recycling, we can steer away from a linear model towards a circular one.
It Saves Energy
Recycling processes are energy efficient because they require significantly less energy than producing the same products using virgin materials. For instance, manufacturing with recycled aluminium cans requires 95% less energy.
This is also true with recycled paper, with one tonne saving approximately 4,100kWh of electricity and the recycling of glass which can save up to 40 litres of oil when recycling just one tonne of it too.
It Preserves Landfill Space
The land is a finite resource, and competition for it is high.
Instead of using up more of the limited space we have with landfills of waste, recycling reduces the need for it as a by-product of waste being diverted from landfills.
It Prevents Global Warming
Recycling can help reverse the effects of excessive production of greenhouse gases that are causing a warming effect and affecting the delicate balance of the environment and the climate. Recycling reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere which can help massively to protecting the planet.
It Protects Wildlife and Marine Life
Most of the materials that we throw away don’t just end up in landfills, they also find their way into rivers and oceans where they present a huge risk to the animals that live there. In fact, it is estimated that over 1 million marine animals are killed each year due to plastic debris alone.
Recycling helps to reduce damage to forests, rivers, swamps, and oceans and all those that inhabit those areas.
It Is Good For The Economy
The environment is not the only beneficiary of recycling; it does wonders for the economy too.
Many companies rely on recycling programs to get their raw materials and make new products. Not to mention the recycling process is far cheaper for manufacturing goods which means things can be made for less then sold on to customers at a fairer price.
It Creates Employment Opportunities
Recycling has created employment in public and private entities. Companies and the government are hiring experts and labour to work in the programs and recycling plants to help collect waste and produce new recycled products.
It Conserves Natural Resources
Many of the natural resources that we use to manufacture goods are in high demand yet in short supply and it is fair to say that if we continue to consume them at this current rate, we will start to run out within the next 20 years.
By recycling materials such as paper, plastic and glass, we can conserve the raw materials (trees, fossil fuels, sand) and make use of what we already have in circulation.
Creates Increased Demand
As we become more keen on recycling, it makes sense that the demand for more recycled and recyclable products becomes higher. As a result, recycling will become far easier and more accessible to the masses.