There are six advantages to recycling

With the review of the Ecosystem Bill currently underway, there is a renewed focus on stopping the flow of plastic waste into our ecosystem. Here’s another reason why recycling is so good for you and the earth.

Also Read: Plastic Waste Management

We must keep in mind that recycling is vital to the future health of our planet. The following are seven reasons why. 

Natural resource conservation

Natural resources are limited throughout the world, and some are in low supply.

At the most basic level:

• When paper and timber are recycled, trees and forests are saved. Yes, new trees can be planted, but once a virgin rainforest or ancient woodland has been lost, it cannot be replaced.
• Recycling plastic reduces the need for new plastic.
• Metal recycling eliminates the need for dangerous, expensive, and environmentally destructive mining and extraction of new metal ores.
• Glass recycling decreases the need for new raw resources such as sand – it may seem hard to believe. But particular types of sand are running out around the world.

Ecosystems and wildlife protection

Recycling reduces the need to grow, harvest, or extract fresh raw materials from the Earth.

As a result, the natural world suffers less disruption and damage: fewer trees are cut down, rivers are diverted, wild animals are harmed or displaced, and water, soil, and air pollution are minimized.

Of course, if our plastic debris is not properly disposed of. It can be blown or swept into rivers and seas, damaging coastlines and waterways hundreds or thousands of kilometers away, posing a problem for everyone.

Demand for raw materials is being reduced

More of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people (for example, those living near forests or river systems) are uprooted from their homes or exploited in various ways as the world’s desire for new things develops. As a result of the search for inexpensive timber, forest populations may be evicted. And rivers may be ruined or polluted by industrial waste.

Recycling old products is considerably preferable to destroying someone else’s community or land in the search for fresh raw resources.

Using less energy

It takes less energy to make items from recycled materials than it does to make them from new raw materials. At times, there can be a large difference in energy levels. Consider the following scenario:

• It takes 95 percent less energy to make new aluminum from old products (such as recycled cans and foil) than it does to make it from the start.
• Paper created from pulped recycled paper uses 40% less energy than virgin wood fibers-based paper.

Cutting climate-changing carbon emissions

Recycling minimizes carbon emissions by lowering the energy necessary to obtain and process new raw materials. It also keeps waste from landfills that could produce methane.

To avert catastrophic climate change, it is necessary to minimize carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

It is less expensive than waste collection and disposal

As a result, the more you recycle and the less you throw out, the more money you save, which is beneficial to households, businesses, and local government services.

If in doubt, keep the three Rs in mind: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

The truth is that we should all strive to use fewer goods in the first place. We should also reuse as much as possible before recycling the things we do use in order to reduce waste. This would go a long way toward resolving the global waste management conundrum. Governments must face the problem of how to dispose of waste.

It’s critical that we combine our waste management initiatives with increased requests for harsher government action on plastic trash reduction.

Suggested Read: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan