Benefits of Recycling on Environment

Recycling

Recyclable products include many types of plastics, textiles, glass, paper, electronics, and metals that are reprocessed from extant goods. Recyclable products are made from the same commodities as the basic materials that make up new goods. Recyclable products have many benefits for individual and societal interests.

Benefits

Environmental benefits

These benefits include the salvaging of resources for profit (or precaution), protecting and expanding manufacturing jobs, conserving natural resources, reducing the need for landfills and incineration of garbage, decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change, preventing pollution caused by the manufacturing of products, and the saving of energy. Recyclable products have historically been of greater interest during times of war, scarcity, and when the process made sense economically. A variety of recyclable products have become common in the marketplace, including goods made of plastic, glass, and paper. In addition, certain commodities such as methane are becoming more available. Government planning and policy decisions can greatly promote or impede the production of recyclable products because the process of recycling has, at least heretofore, relied heavily on governmental subsidies. The main detriment of the process largely hinges on the financial burdens of reprocessing, transporting, and marketing recyclable products. (Curlee, p.125)

In many non-industrial countries, recycling occurs in a very informal manner. For instance, in Delhi, India, there are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of poor individuals sorting through the city's waste to collect items such as plastic, paper, glass, and metal that can be resold for recycling. Although this type of informal recycling program is controversial because it is a means of survival for many slum dwellers, some cities have encouraged it because of the economic savings realized from not having to develop a formal waste and recycling program. Recycling is beneficial, as it requires no ...