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Recycling 101:
Why Should I Recycle?
While issues like global warming, loss of rain forests, hazardous waste, and our waste disposal crisis may seem huge and out of our control, there are some things that individuals can control. Waste reduction and recycling efforts can make a difference--especially within Sherborn and within our state.
Recycling Saves Our Environment by providing industry with an
environmentally preferable sources of materials in the form of metals, paper,
plastic and glass. When these items are recycled natural resources that go
into making these materials are saved.
Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by recycling. By reducing the
amount of energy that is used by industry,
recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps stem the dangers of
global climate change. This happens because much of the energy used in
industrial processes and in transportation involves burning fossil fuels like
gasoline, diesel and coal - the most important sources of carbon and other
greenhouse gas emissions into the environment. For more about greenhouse gas
emissions, check this website:
http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Your-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions
Recycling Saves Energy.
Using energy requires the consumption of scarce fossil fuels and results in the
emissions of air and water pollutants. It usually takes less energy to
supply materials to industry (collecting, processing and transportation) than to
supply virgin materials to industry (extracting, refining, transportation and
processing).
Fact: According to the National Recycling Coalition, it takes 95% less energy to
recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newsprint 40%, recycled plastic 70%, & recycled glass 40%. Remember this and recycle!
Recycling Saves Natural Resources.
Recycling is an important strategy in
conserving the world's scarce natural resources. Recycling reduces the need for
landfills and other disposal facilities, thereby allowing local lands to be used
in more environmentally preferable ways. And, by substituting scrap materials
for the use of trees, metal ores, minerals, oil and other virgin materials,
recycling reduces the pressure to expand forestry and mining production.