Everyone knows that they should recycle, but have you ever asked yourself why? All we know is that certain items go in a separate bin from the trash and are good for the environment. We know that recycling is better for the earth, but the benefits of recycling stretch far beyond that. 

Resource Conservation

One of the many benefits of recycling is saving natural resources that aren’t quick to replenish. Everything we use in our daily lives has had some effect on the earth, whether it is paper that comes from trees or elements that are dug up from the ground to create metals. There are a finite amount of these resources, even the oil used to make plastics, so we must conserve as many of these resources as we can now. If not, these resources will become incredibly expensive if not disappear altogether. 

Energy Conservation

Recycling old materials into new ones uses much less energy than creating something new from raw materials. For instance, making an aluminum can out of recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than creating a can from raw materials. If that is not enough to convince you, consider that recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power an old 100-watt light bulb for over four hours. That is a lot of energy saved!

Protects the Environment

Production of anything strains our environment, from harvesting to emissions during the production process. Recycling reduces the need for us to tear up the ground or dispose of potentially harmful chemicals that could leak into the ground and our water supply. There are also many ways that recycling helps reduce global warming, like cutting back the amount of carbon emissions factories make and the amount of methane-releasing waste that ends up in landfills. 

Slows the Spread of Landfills

In the United States alone, there are over 2,000 active landfills; that isn’t counting the landfills that have been shut down for reaching capacity. This is a serious problem for several reasons, starting with landfills releasing dangerous greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. What more people will recognize is that they are an eyesore, and they stink. In some towns, you can smell the landfill from miles away on hot days. The more we recycle, the less we need to create new landfills or expand the ones we have. 

Protects Ecosystems and Wildlife

If you are an animal lover, you will love that recycling protects wild animals. First, not having to extract raw materials through digging, cutting down trees, or drilling leaves their natural habitats untouched. Secondly, landfill junk doesn’t end up in our oceans, choking fish and turtles. 

Job Creation

As the saying goes, it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. The fact is that being a waste management professional isn’t unsanitary, but it is incredibly rewarding. These hardworking individuals make a decent living and get the satisfaction of doing something essential for their community. As more people recycle, it creates more demand for waste management professionals, truck drivers, recycling center employees, and those individuals who turn the recycled materials back into usable products. 

Be a Part of the Solution

There are so many benefits of recycling, and the best part is that it takes minimal effort for you to be part of the solution. When you sign up for recycling services from Infinite Disposal, you are taking the first steps toward making your community and the world a cleaner and more sustainable place. Once you have your recycling receptacle, the only difference between throwing things in the trash and recycling is that you will feel much better about doing your part every time you drop something in the recycling.