The Benefits of Recycling
Implementing a recycling program in the workplace has many benefits for both your business and the environment. On average, 80 to 90 percent of solid waste generated in the workplace can be recycled. Establishing a recycling program is easy and will not just reduce your carbon footprint, it can also save money.
Benefits of Recycling
- Reduce the Size of Landfills: As industries develop and grow, so do landfills. Making new products from processed materials limits the amount of waste sent to landfills and combustion facilities. Recycling reduces harmful air and water pollutants and decreases the strain on our environment.
- Conserve Natural Resources: Recycling conserves natural resources such as oil, gas, timber, water, and minerals. Many junk items made from these resources are crowding landfills. Items such as aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles, plastic bags, and paper can be recycled to be used over and over again, ensuring new resources aren’t exploited.
- Save Energy: When products are manufactured from recycled materials, we reduce the need for raw materials and save the required energy to extract and convert those materials. For example, recycling aluminum cans save 95 percent of the energy required to produce new cans from raw materials. The energy saved by recycling conserves oil and gasoline use which significantly reduces costs and reliance on foreign oil.
- Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Recycling saves energy which reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. Core recyclables such as cans, glass, and paper are among the recyclable items that have the greatest potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Creates Employment Opportunities: Recycling itself is a large industry that continues to grow. Recycling must be sorted and then shipped to the right center where the materials will be converted into new items. This undertaking requires thousands and continues to offer new employment as the industry grows.