| Recycling is sort of like exercising: we all know we | | | | plastics, metals, and paper products release toxins into |
| should do it, but not all of us do it as often as we | | | | the air. Recycle these materials, and there will be less |
| should-and some of us don't do it at all. However, there | | | | need for companies to manufacture new |
| are lots of reasons why you should make an effort to | | | | materials-saving on the amount of pollution dumped |
| recycle as much as possible. If you haven't been | | | | into our atmosphere. In addition, disposing of certain |
| diligent about recycling your garbage, here are seven | | | | recyclable materials can also produce significant |
| good reasons why you should start. | | | | pollution. For example, plastics are often burned in |
| It cuts back on global warming. Our planet is starting to | | | | incinerators. Plastics are made with oil, and that oil is |
| feel the effects of global warming already-and we | | | | released into the atmosphere when the plastic |
| need to do whatever we can to lessen the impact. | | | | burns-creating serious greenhouse-gas emissions. |
| Production of certain materials from scratch can | | | | It creates jobs. From manufacturing to processing, |
| release significant amounts of CO2 into the | | | | from collection to invention-it's no secret that recycling |
| atmosphere. Aluminum production is a prime | | | | is a growth industry, earning billions of dollars annually. |
| example-producing new aluminum creates 95% more | | | | Our need to recycle is only going to grow more urgent |
| CO2 than recycling old aluminum cans. In addition, | | | | as populations grow and as technology changes. |
| recycling paper saves trees-for each ton of paper | | | | Recycling creates far more jobs than landfills |
| recycled, 17 trees are saved. Each of these trees can | | | | do-enough jobs to make a big difference in a small |
| extract around 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the | | | | town. |
| air in a year. | | | | It adds to property value. It's obvious that a landfill near |
| It makes us more energy-efficient. It often takes a | | | | your home can decrease your property values |
| great deal more energy to create something from | | | | significantly. Recycling reduces the amount of land |
| scratch than to recycle it. For example, it takes twice | | | | needed for landfills. This reduces the number of |
| as much energy to burn plastic as to recycle it; it takes | | | | houses near landfills, keeping property values up and |
| 64% more energy to make paper than to recycle it; | | | | homeowners happy. The more people recycle, the |
| and recycling just one pound of steel can save enough | | | | fewer landfills we need-and if enough people pitch in, |
| energy to run a 60-watt bulb for one day. | | | | recycling should pay off for everybody. |
| It keeps our landfills from overflowing. We're fast | | | | It's good business. Pitting business against the |
| running out of space for landfills-especially near cities. | | | | environment is a lose-lose situation: everybody suffers. |
| Seaside cities have been dumping trash into their | | | | And yet, that's how the debate has been framed in |
| oceans for decades to circumvent the problem, but | | | | politics and the public sphere for years. This is a |
| with widespread marine ecological collapse, this is no | | | | shame, because the truth is that recycling just makes |
| longer a viable option. Worse yet, it's difficult to find | | | | good business sense. Industrial factories and |
| land in suburban and rural areas whose residents will | | | | processing plants save plenty of money on energy |
| allow landfills to come into their areas without a fight. | | | | and extraction strategies when they use recycled |
| The squeeze for landfill land is only going to get worse | | | | materials instead of virgin resources. They also ensure |
| in the future. | | | | that basic resources don't become a scarce |
| Recycling gives us some hope for this bleak scenario. | | | | commodity, keeping demand and prices down and |
| Studies show that 60% to 75% of garbage in landfills | | | | ensuring that their business can continue for decades |
| can be recycled. That means that if everybody | | | | to come. |
| recycled, we'd have 60% to 75% less garbage in our | | | | One person can make a difference. With so many |
| landfills, and we'd need at least that much less land for | | | | good causes, it's easy to get discouraged-especially |
| garbage disposal. | | | | when the problem is so widespread that it's hard to |
| It improves the quality of our groundwater. The | | | | see what difference your individual effort is making. |
| garbage in landfills is usually not treated in any way-it's | | | | Many people think this is true with recycling, too-but the |
| simply thrown in a big hole and buried over. Much of | | | | truth is that small acts of recycling make a big |
| this garbage is not environmentally friendly or readily | | | | difference. For example, recycling just one large |
| biodegradable-and it's no surprise that contaminants | | | | newspaper would save around 75,000 trees. On |
| can get into our water. Rain and other runoff from | | | | average, each person in the U.S. produces around |
| landfills gets into our streams, rivers, lakes, and other | | | | 1,600 lbs. of waste each year. If you recycled all of |
| waterways, damaging fragile ecosystems. It's also a | | | | that, you could save around 1,100 lbs. of waste per |
| major reason why it's not safe to drink from streams | | | | year-that's over half a ton-just by yourself! |
| and rivers when you're hiking and camping-even when | | | | We hope that after reading this article, you'll be inspired |
| it looks like you're in a pristine environment. Recycling | | | | to become a recycling advocate-or at least be certain |
| reduces the trash in landfills, and the more we recycle, | | | | to recycle in the future. Recycling benefits everybody, |
| the more our water systems can start becoming as | | | | and takes only a little trash-sorting to put into effect. |
| pure as they look. | | | | With our limited space for landfills and dwindling |
| It reduces air pollution. Many factories that produce | | | | resources, it's a sure thing that recycling is here to stay. |