The Truth About Recycling: Why You Should Do It Anyway
It’s no secret that the act of recycling has fallen out of favor in recent years. A study by the National Waste and Recycling Association found that Americans recycled just 34.6% of their waste in 2018, down from a high of 35.8% in 2017. Given this decrease in recycling rates, it’s no wonder people are beginning to question whether recycling is worth their time and effort at trash removal las vegas.
The answer is a resounding yes! While it’s true that recycling has become more complicated in recent years—due mainly to China’s decision to stop accepting certain types of recycled materials—the benefits of recycling still far outweigh any potential drawbacks. Here are three reasons why you should continue to recycle, even if it’s not as convenient as it used to be.
Benefits of Recycling
1. Recycling conserves resources.
It takes a lot of energy and water to extract the raw materials needed to make new products—up to 10 times more than what’s required to recycle existing products. So, every can, bottle, or piece of paper you recycle is one less that needs to be produced from scratch. In addition, recycling just one ton of paper saves enough water from supplying the average household for six months and enough electricity to power an entire home for 11 months.
2. Recycling reduces pollution.
Manufacturing new products from scratch release several harmful pollutants into the air, including sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants can cause respiratory problems, heart disease, and even premature death. Recycling helps reduce these emissions by using less energy than required to produce new products from scratch.
3. Recycling creates jobs.
In 2018, 1.57 million Americans were employed in the recycling and reuse industry—nearly 9% since 2017. In comparison, the overall U.S. job market grew by 1.6% during the same period. Moreover, jobs in the recycling industry tend to pay above-average wages and offer good benefits packages.
Conclusion:
Despite what you may have heard, recycling is still a worthwhile endeavor that we should all be participating in regularly. So please, don’t let your recyclables end up in the trash—put them in the blue bin instead! Your efforts will help conserve resources, reduce pollution, and create jobs—all while doing your part to ensure a brighter future for generations to come.