Is Recycling Only About The Environment?

Recycling is a major part of living a more eco friendly lifestyle

. It's a part many people focus on, and something that has become easier to do in many communities. Some may only offer recycling for the basics, such as metal, glass and paper, while others accept a wide range of plastics as well.

But recycling isn't all about the environment. It has other benefits, depending on what's being recycled.

Manufacturing Can Benefit

Some metals are much cheaper to recycle than they are to use fresh from the mine. The EPA says recycling aluminum saves 92% of the energy it takes to process it from bauxite ore. The demand for aluminum is high, as it is used in common products such as soda cans or siding on houses.

Recycling Creates Jobs

If you want a recycling program, people are going to have to work at the recycling center. That's jobs for people getting products ready for recycling, transporting recyclable and recycled materials and so forth.

Recycling takes more people to do the work than similar jobs at landfills. Despite that, many kinds of recycling are economically feasible enough that this still saves money over dumping it all in the landfill.

Recycling Saves Money

Communities have realized that it's worthwhile to have recycling available. Businesses have realized that it's worth their time to recycle. There's a good reason for that. They save money.

A good recycling program costs less than many other waste disposal options. The products being recycled can be sold, reducing the cost of the recycling program.

Landfills Benefit

Recycling can't do away with landfills, but it can slow down the rate at which they are filled. Some areas of the United States are facing a shortage of available space for landfills. Other areas aren't facing such problems, but it doesn't hurt to slow down how fast we fill up landfills.

If local landfills are full, then states have to send their garbage elsewhere, increasing the costs to consumers. That's significant to people living in areas where they have to send their garbage away.

Remember the Other Two Rs

Recycling has a lot of benefits, both to the environment and economically, but it's not the only thing you should be considering. It's more important to reduce your consumption and to reuse products when possible. These two actions are the most beneficial to the environment, and are pretty good for your personal finances as well.

by: Stephanie Foster

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