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| Source: Recycling Guys |
Researchers
have been writing about recycling since the 1970s and it is a heavily
researched topic and therefore a lot is already understood about this topic.
Recycling
has become an established norm for many communities. Recycling is a viable
means of addressing the problems associated with municipal waste disposal. Recycling
can not only benefit yourself, but also the environment.
·
Less
Pressure on Landfills - Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and
incinerators and that must be dispose of;
·
Sustainable
use of Resources;
· It
lessens the need to extract the planet’s limited raw material resources and conserves
natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals;
·
Prevents
pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials; Recycling of
industrial products cuts down pollution levels significantly;
·
Saves
energy - A large amount of energy is consumed by processing raw materials during
manufacturing and recycling ultimately minimises this;
·
Prevents
Loss of Biodiversity: Less raw material is needed when you engage yourself in
recycling products and it will prevents loss of biodiversity and ecosystems. Soil
erosion and water pollution, enabling indigenous plants and animals to survive
in forests;
·
Recycling
reduces the pressure to expand forestry and mining production - recycled paper
made from certain trees is re-used repeatedly to minimize felling/
deforestation;
·
Reduces
greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change - human
activities have contributed to an accelerated warming of the Earth’s surface
through the increase of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and have altered the
chemical composition of the atmosphere;
·
Helps
sustain the environment for future generations;
·
It
is a very helpful environmental education tool – all people (from young children
to elders) can participate in recycling initiatives to protect our precious
resources;
·
Helps
create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries;
·
Motivate
the Use of Greener Technologies: By participating in recycling has helped
people to use greener technologies e.g. renewable energy sources like solar and
wind;
·
Greater
economic development; and
·
Well-run
recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and
incineration.
References
United
States Environmental Protection Agency