Recycling is somewhat like exercising: we all know we should do it, but not all of us do it as often as we should—and some of us don’t do it at all. However, there are many reasons why you should make an effort to recycle as much as possible. If you haven’t been diligent about recycling your garbage, here are seven compelling reasons to start.
So Why Should Everyone Recycle?
It cuts back on global warming. Our planet is already feeling the effects of global warming, and we need to do whatever we can to lessen the impact. The production of certain materials from scratch can release significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Aluminum production is a prime example—producing new aluminum creates 95% more CO2 than recycling old aluminum cans. Additionally, recycling paper saves trees; for each ton of paper recycled, 17 trees are saved. Each of these trees can extract around 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air in a year.
It makes us more energy-efficient. It often takes significantly more energy to create something from scratch than to recycle it. For instance, it takes twice as much energy to burn plastic as it does to recycle it; 64% more energy is required to make paper than to recycle it; and recycling just one pound of steel can save enough energy to run a 60-watt bulb for one day.
It keeps our landfills from overflowing. We’re quickly running out of space for landfills—especially near cities. Seaside cities have been dumping trash into their oceans for decades to circumvent the problem, but with widespread marine ecological collapse, this is no longer a viable option. Furthermore, it’s difficult to find land in suburban and rural areas where residents will allow landfills without a fight. The squeeze for landfill space is only going to worsen in the future.
Recycling gives us some hope for this bleak scenario. Studies show that 60% to 75% of garbage in landfills can be recycled. This means that if everyone recycled, we’d have 60% to 75% less garbage in our landfills, and we would need at least that much less land for waste disposal.
It improves the quality of our groundwater. The garbage in landfills is typically not treated; it’s simply thrown into a hole and buried. Much of this garbage is not environmentally friendly or readily biodegradable, leading to contaminants entering our water systems. Rain and other runoff from landfills can damage fragile ecosystems in streams, rivers, lakes, and other waterways. This is a major reason why it’s not safe to drink from streams and rivers while hiking or camping—even when the area appears pristine. Recycling reduces the trash in landfills, and the more we recycle, the closer our water systems can get to being as pure as they look.
It reduces air pollution. Many factories that produce plastics, metals, and paper products release toxins into the air. By recycling these materials, we lessen the need for companies to manufacture new ones, reducing the pollution released into our atmosphere. Additionally, disposing of certain recyclable materials can also generate significant pollution. For example, plastics are often burned in incinerators. Plastics are made with oil, and that oil is released into the atmosphere when the plastic burns, creating serious greenhouse gas emissions.
It creates jobs. From manufacturing to processing, and from collection to innovation, recycling is a growth industry that earns billions of dollars annually. Our need to recycle will only become more urgent as populations grow and technology evolves. Recycling creates far more jobs than landfills do—enough to make a significant difference in a small town.
It adds to property value. It’s clear that a landfill near your home can significantly decrease your property values. Recycling reduces the amount of land needed for landfills, which decreases the number of houses located near them, helping to keep property values up and homeowners happy. The more people recycle, the fewer landfills we need—and if enough people pitch in, recycling will benefit everyone.
It’s good business. Pitting business against the environment is a lose-lose situation: everyone suffers. Yet, this is how the debate has been framed in politics and the public sphere for years. This is unfortunate, because recycling actually makes good business sense. Industrial factories and processing plants save considerable money on energy and extraction costs when they use recycled materials instead of virgin resources. They also help ensure that basic resources don’t become scarce, keeping demand and prices down and ensuring that their business can continue for decades to come.
One person can make a difference. With so many good causes, it’s easy to feel discouraged—especially when the problem seems so widespread that it’s hard to see the impact of your individual efforts. Many people believe this applies to recycling, too—but the truth is that small acts of recycling can make a big difference. For instance, recycling just one large newspaper can save around 75,000 trees. On average, each person in the U.S. produces about 1,600 pounds of waste each year. If you recycled all of that, you could save around 1,100 pounds of waste annually—that’s over half a ton—just by yourself!
We hope that after reading this article, you’ll be inspired to become a recycling advocate—or at the very least, commit to recycling in the future. Recycling benefits everyone and requires only a bit of trash-sorting to implement. With our limited space for landfills and dwindling resources, it’s clear that recycling is here to stay.
