The world’s population is rising, not declining, and each human being now produces considerable waste to the earth during his or her lifetime. And one of the most effective methods for mankind to make a good impact on the planet is via recycling.
Recycling is more than just reducing the quantity of garbage transported to landfills; it has a lengthy range of benefits that aren’t restricted to the environment; it also has economic and social benefits.
Even though we reside in a consumer-driven society with an ever-increasing hunger for new things, if we begin to look at the waste produced by this level of consumption in a different perspective, we may be able to convert our issue into a fantastic opportunity.
The process of sorting, collecting, and remanufacturing or turning old or waste items into new resources is known as recycling. However, if we are to genuinely focus on recycling, we must modify the way we approach it personally and socially.
Recycling helps to extend the life and functionality of something that has previously fulfilled its use by reducing it to its basic elements and then reusing those materials to create something usable.
It is one of the 3 golden laws of sustainability (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) and offers several advantages for both humans and the environment.
10 Benefits of recycling:
Recycling helps to save resources-
Recycling converts old materials into new goods, minimising the need to use natural resources. If discarded materials are not recycled, new goods are created through mining and forestry to harvest fresh, raw resources from the earth—recycling aids in the conservation of vital raw resources and the preservation of natural environments for the future.
Recycling saves energy-
Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process use significantly less energy than the energy required for producing new products from raw materials. This increases the gap even more when we start comparing all associated costs, including transport etc. Furthermore, there are additional energy savings because it takes more energy to collect, purify, transport, and process raw materials ready for the industry than it does to provide industry-ready products.
Recycling contributes to atmosphere protection-
Recycling lowers the requirement for raw material extraction, refining, and processing, all of which cause significant air and water pollution. Recycling saves energy while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which aids in the fight against climate change.
Recycling helps to decrease landfills-
When we recycle, the recyclable materials are reprocessed into new goods, reducing the quantity of waste sent to landfills.
Recycling protects the environment-
Recycling minimises the need for new raw materials to be grown, harvested, or extracted from the earth. This, in turn, minimises the harmful disturbances and damages done to the natural environment, which means fewer trees are chopped down, rivers being diverted, wild creatures getting hurt or relocated, and pollution is reduced.
Recycling helps the community-
It is preferable to recycle existing products rather than wreak havoc on someone else’s community or land to pursue new raw materials. Due to the extreme increase in demand for new goods, the poor and vulnerable communities have been evicted from their homes or otherwise exploited.
Recycling contributes to the economy-
Recycling is also cost-effective. As a general rule, it is six times less expensive to dispose of recycled waste than ordinary waste. As a result, the more you recycle and the less you throw out, the more money you save, which benefits many households, companies, and local public services. Recycling food waste and green trash is also a good idea since it typically results in a lot of beneficial compost.