Although we are all aware that “we must” recycle, we are not always clear about “why.”

Is it really a significant advantage to put a can of soda in a recycling bin and not just throw it away? If we better understand the benefits of recycling and how we can help the environment, we will be more inclined to include this fact as a natural and vital part of life.

How does recycling help the environment? There are many ways in which this helps the environment. Some of the most important are:

1) Reduction of Landfills

The environmental problems of landfills are challenging to solve. As more waste is dumped in landfills, the problem increases. Products that are not biodegradable or take time to degrade can remain in landfills for centuries, often releasing gases that can be harmful to the environment. Keeping paper out of landfills is only one way to help the environment.

2) Reducing Pollution

Waste in landfills emits gases as it rots. This can pollute the environment. Anyone who has been to a landfill site in the summer knows the smell and the flies found in the vicinity of a landfill site. Reducing the elements in landfills will help reduce the pollution it causes. Recycled products typically also emit less carbon, reducing the carbon footprint of a product.

3) Reduce Energy Consumption

Recycling items often costs less energy than making products from new sources. For example, making paper from recycled pulp costs much less energy than using new wood. While there are benefits to growing trees because of their carbon, this must be offset by the environmental damage caused by putting paper in landfills and using energy to produce new items.

4) Save Oil

It must be taken into account that oil is the main material used to make plastic, so one of the main advantages of recycling is saving a non-renewable resource that is becoming scarcer every day. By recycling, we can save thousands of tons of oil per year, one of the first steps towards a global change that will eliminate fossil fuels’ consumption once and for all.

5) Helps with Climate Change Issues

No one doubts that climate change is real and that it is one of the greatest threats to humanity in the years to come. The excessive emission of greenhouse gases causes global warming into the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting from human activities. Recycling, thanks to the lower consumption of energy and materials, contributes to lower CO2 emissions.

6) Costs

Another advantage of recycling is that the use of recycled products often results in significant cost savings. Some people even feel that they can make money from recycling. For example, recycling leaves and the grass is a great way to make compost. Of course, using homemade compost is much cheaper than buying compost and is a useful way to save money. And saving money by recycling ultimately helps the environment. If we see a real advantage in the bag, then we will sooner support the cause of recycling.

Recycling is one of the many ways we can help the environment. No matter how small, every step we take is another step toward helping and supporting the environment we live in. By involving everyone, we can help create a better environment for future generations.

By considering all these benefits of this ecological practice, it is possible to understand better the great importance of recycling for the planet and all living things that live there.
What are your thoughts about this? Please share them with us in the comments below!