Is Recycling Really Beneficial For The Environment?

Recycling is an important concept that is more widely known now than ever before. Children are starting to learn about recycling in school, most homes have a recycling bin that cities will pick up on trash day, and more people are recycling.

One common question about recycling is – is it actually benefiting the environment? And if it is, then how? Recycling is one of the best thing we can do for both the environment and us.

How recycling benefits the environment

• It reduces greenhouse gases. When you don’t recycle as things like paper decompose, it will start to give off greenhouse gases, which is a heat-trapping chemical more powerful than carbon dioxide.
• Recycling saves resources. When you recycle, you are reusing materials and then making them into new materials so we don’t need to use more natural resources.
• Recycling helps save energy. When you are using a recycled material to create a new material – it uses less energy than it would require to make a completely new product with raw materials.
• It lessens the waste that goes to landfills. The more everyone recycles, the less that it will have to go and sit in a landfill.

How to help with recycling

Plastic, aluminium, and glass are all recycled in different ways and break down differently. To help with recycling centers and to make the process easier, you can separate the three types of recyclables. This way, once they get to the recycling center, they can be dumped into bins and the process can begin immediately.

You can also be more conscious of the materials you are buying, and try to buy more materials that can be recycled.  When shopping, you can bring in a reusable bag instead of using the store’s paper or plastic options. You can also use reusable water bottles instead of plastic ones.

Every little thing you do does make an impact on recycling. A great way to think about recycling is if everyone made one change, think about how much of an impact that could have on the amount of trash we produce and our recycling habits. If you have any questions about what can be recycled, or what we recycle at Allied Recycling Center, you can call us at (508) 668-8699 or contact us on our website.