It is understandable that many of us are sceptical about the impact that comes about from our recycling. Questions such as ?how much of what we segregate is really recycled?? to ?what effect does recycling really have if we are still creating new waste?? are often posed and in some ways can really reduce people?s willingness to recycle. While one person on this planet may not always make a huge difference, the effect is really seen when we work in numbers. We shall take a look at what effects our recycling habits can really have.
1) Less pollution is produced
Making a product from scratch from raw materials uses an incredible amount of energy. Many resources such as water and fossil fuels may be used in order to create materials such as plastic from scratch, so a big benefit of recycling is that it removes much of the process that causes pollution.
2) It slows down the degradation of forests
While unfortunately there are many other reasons why we are rapidly losing our forests, recycling paper means that we can slow down this process until a more sustainable option is found. Paper is one of the most easily recycled materials, albeit not the most durable, and we are constantly improving the recycling process that allows us to recycle more types of paper products and more times over. Ever improving machinery such as an industry cardboard shredder and crushers mean that more types of paper waste can be recycled, reducing the need for raw materials.
3) Less landfill space is needed
Much of the waste that ends up in landfills will be unlikely to degrade within our lifetime, meaning that the space it takes up can pretty much be a fixture in our lives and those of our children. By reducing the amount of space needed for landfill, we can use that space for more productive uses such as housing or general infrastructure. Finding areas suitable for landfill use is usually complicated due to the need to consult many stakeholders such as the local community and government. Not only this, but the landfills cannot be based too far away from where the waste is generated as the logistics may be difficult or not cost effective.
4) A whole recycling economy is created, and therefore jobs
While there is an economy created from the general waste process, the process of recycling can create much more, from the collection of materials to the segregation and eventually reuse. In terms of reuse, you may even find items in stores handmade from recycled materials.
As you can see recycling brings with it a whole host of benefits that you may not have initially considered, as well as its environmental benefits!