Recycling is one of those things that we know is good, but we have a hard time seeing all the good that comes from recycling. Saving energy and natural resources isn’t something tangible that we can hold in our hands, so it can sometimes be hard to convince people that they are making a difference by recycling. Here are the economic and environmental benefits of recycling.
Benefits of recycling
Waste is a huge problem. It’s bigger than we ever imagined and it’s impacting every aspect of our lives. Waste is polluting the air, the earth, our water supply, and our oceans. One of the most significant contributors of garbage is throwing something out without considering how it can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. Recycling will save energy, save natural resources, and save you money.
Economic impact of recycling
Before you recycle something, take a minute to determine if the stuff you are throwing out needs to be thrown out. Many times we throw out perfectly good things just because we are looking for a style change, whether it’s clothing, furniture, or practical tools. We’re not saying that you can’t switch your mismatched coffee mugs with a matching set, but think about repurposing, recycling, or regifting your old coffee mugs before you throw them out. Using items until they are completely worn, chipped, or broken will save you money.
Using recycled materials to make “new” products also has an economic impact on production. It takes fewer resources and less energy to manufacture recycled materials. Investing in recycling programs will also create jobs, and by saving money on the production side by using recycled materials, workers will be able to receive higher wages.
Environmental impact of recycling
Recycling conserves energy, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, reduces air pollution, and conserves natural resources. When we don’t have to go back to the earth to source new materials for new products we are leaving more land free and untainted for nature and wildlife to continue to flourish. Recycling also means that we minimize landfills and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the ocean.
Sunrise Sanitation provides waste management and recycling services for your home, business, and job-site in West Virginia and Maryland.
