Last modified on March 12th, 2022 at 10:18 am

5 Environmental Benefits of Recycling

The planet could run out of rain forests by 2100, or food as soon as 2050, or even water in 2040. All of these estimates are based on the world’s current rate of consumption of these resources. 

These years aren’t that far off and can be quite alarming. However, there is good news. As technology develops, we’ve discovered there are several environmental benefits of recycling. 

This article will explain how recycling helps the environment and the benefits we can expect. 

1. Conserve Natural Resources 

One of the most well-known recycling benefits is the conservation of natural resources. There are so many natural resources on our planet, so conserving them will extend their useful life. 

The recycling of paper and wood helps to conserve trees and forests. While we can replace trees, there’s no replacing exotic rainforests or ancient woodlands.

Recycling plastic helps to reduce the production of new plastic. This reduces the harvesting of fossil fuels and hydrocarbons. 

Metal recycling reduces expensive and dangerous mining and extraction. Glass recycling reduces the use of specialty sands used in production. 

2. Protect Wildlife 

The additional benefit of reducing the harvesting of natural resources is that wildlife can thrive. When nature gets left alone, these natural habitats thrive, and so do the animals that call the area home. 

Less mining and processing of raw materials also results in lower pollution levels. This results in cleaner air, water, and soil. With fewer toxins, wildlife can be healthier, stronger, and live longer. 

3. Saves Energy 

It requires less energy to turn already produced products into new ones than to turn raw materials into products. Recycled aluminum uses less than 5% of the energy required to make the original product. 

Paper products like tissue paper, printing paper, newsprint, and packaging paper all have an energy savings of 7-57% of the original production energy requirements. 

4. Reduces Carbon Emissions 

Recycle material reduces the amount of energy required to source and process raw materials. This results in lower carbon emissions. It also reduces the amount of methane releasing materials that end up in landfill sites. 

Reducing the overall amount of carbon emissions is crucial for the prevention of climate change. 

5. Affordable Waste Collection and Disposal 

It’s significantly more affordable to collect and dispose of recycled waste than it is general waste. The more material that’s recycled, the less that ends up getting collected in the regular trash, and the more money that’s saved. 

Food and green waste can be converted into nutrient-rich compost for more robust farming and plant growth. Systems for collecting glass and metal and cardboard can also eliminate the majority of bulk collected. Nationwide Cardboard Removal is a service that removes excess cardboard with no freight charges and higher rebates. 

Experience the Environmental Benefits of Recycling

As you can see, there are several environmental benefits of recycling. By taking these steps today, we can ensure our planet’s beauty and resources remain intact for generations to come. 

Browse our other environmental articles for tips and advice on how you can help the planet.