Facts about recycling

The Benefits of Recycling

• Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
• Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals.
• Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials.
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials.
• Saves energy.

How does recycling save water?

Recycling and buying recycled goods is one of the best ways to conserve water. Most people don’t consider recycling paper as a means of conserving water, but by recycling one pound of paper you can conserve roughly 3.5 gallons of water. On average, a dollar worth of paper consumes about 6 gallons of water.

How does recycling reduce pollution?

Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants, and saves energy. Using recovered material generates less solid waste. Recycling helps to reduce the pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials.

How does recycling help the economy?

Recycling not only saves energy and reduces landfill waste, the recycling industry creates jobs and helps our local economy. The study, “More Jobs, Less Pollution” shows that a 75% national recycling rate would create nearly 2.3 million jobs while reducing pollution by 2030.

How does recycling reduce global warming?

Recycling eliminates the need for new raw materials to make new products. For instance, recycling one ton of paper saves 19 trees from being cut. Tree preservation in turn leads to the protection of water catchment areas and promotes the capture of carbon dioxide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.11 Dec 2017

What are the positive effects of recycling?

LessIsMore.org offers a few quantitative metrics to illustrate the positive impact recycling has on conserving natural resources: – 1 Ton of recycled office paper saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 463 gallons of oil. – 1 ton of recycled steel saves 1.8 barrels of oil and 4 cubic yards in landfill.

How much of an impact does recycling make?

Recycling steel and tin cans saves 60 to 74 percent; recycling paper saves about 60 percent; and recycling plastic and glass saves about one-third of the energy compared to making those products from virgin materials.