Recycling benefits

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Why do we recycle? Recycling is one of the most significant things we can do to help our environment. Metals and many other materials can be recycled and used again indefinitely, meaning we protect and preserve some of nature's finite resources. Using recycled products instead of virgin materials during manufacturing dramatically reduces pollution and carbon emissions, reduces energy and water consumption, and frees up much-needed space for necessary landfill. What are the benefits of recycling? Recycling provides a solution to many of the problems facing the world today, including diminishing resources, increased energy and water use, dangerous levels of carbon emissions and ever-growing levels of waste generation. The threat of global warming highlights just how important the benefits of recycling can be for the entire planet. With global warming directly linked to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, it is important we act immediately to reduce these emissions. The following examples give you some insight into how effective recycling can be in achieving these reductions: By using a tonne of recycled steel rather than primary iron ore, carbon emissions are reduced by 2.1 tonnes. When one tonne of aluminium is recycled, carbon emissions are reduced by a staggering 7.9 tonnes. For every tonne of computers recycled, carbon emissions reduced by approximately four tonnes. What will happen if we don't recycle? Apart from the devastating impacts associated with increased carbon emissions, without recycling, there is a very real danger that important commodities will be lost forever. Rare metals such as platinum, indium and tantalum are estimated to run out in the next five to 20 years. Even common metals such as zinc, copper, nickel and phosphorous may run out in the not too distant future. As the world's oil supplies decline, plastics may become too expensive to manufacture, and without recycling, may not be able to be used in common applications. Supply shortages of metals and other materials have the potential to affect the standard of living to which we have become accustomed. If we do not recycle, the levels of waste generated will become unmanageable and we will run out of space for landfill.