why is recycling important?

Answer 1

Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling prevents useful material resources being wasted, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production.[1] Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the waste hierarchy.

Recyclable materials, also called "recyclables" or "recyclates", may originate from a wide range of sources including the home and industry. They include glass, paper, aluminium, asphalt, iron, textiles and plastics. Biodegradable waste, such as food waste or garden waste, is also recyclable with the assistance of microorganisms through composting or anaerobic digestion.

Recyclates need to be sorted and separated into material types. Contamination of the recylates with other materials must be prevented to increase the recyclates value and facilitate easier reprocessing for the ultimate recycling facility. This sorting can be performed either by the producer of the waste or within semi or fully-automated materials recovery facilities.

There are two common household methods of helping increase recycling. Firstly kerbside collection (US: curbside collection) is where consumers leave presorted materials for recycling at the front of their property, typicially in boxes or sacks to be collected by a recycling vehicle. Alternatively, with a "bring system", the householder may take the materials to recycling banks or civic amenity centres where recyclates are placed into recycling bins based on the type of material.

Recycling does not include reuse where items retain their existing form for other purposes without the need for reprocessing.

Benefits
One of the main benefits of recycling comes from reducing the amount of new material required. In theory, recycling allows a material to be continually reused for the same purpose, and in many cases this theory holds true, most notably in the recycling of metals and glass.

Since less raw material is required, recycling creates further benefits for materials where cost of the initial extraction or production is high—either economically, socially or environmentally. The recycling of aluminium, for example, saves 95% of the CO2 emissions—an environmentally harmful greenhouse gas—compared to refining new metal.

Concerns about limited resources such as raw materials and land space for disposal of waste have increased the importance of recycling. However maximum environmental benefit is gained by reducing the amount of waste produced, and reusing items in their current form, for example refilling bottles. All recycling techniques consume energy, for transportation and processing, and some also use considerable amounts of water. Both of these resources have an environmental impact which is why campaigners use the slogan "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" to indicate the preferred order for waste management in the waste hierarchy.

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Answer 2

The only thing that is really "worth" recycling is aluminum. It take more energry and reduces the waste in the production process of virgin aluminum production from boxite ore than it does to recycle aluminum.

It's a sad but true fact. Recycling any other product consumes more energy and/or creates more pollution than creation of the virgin product from raw materials.

Answer 3

Since we can't create natural resources out of thin air, we have limited resources. Some very useful items, such as precious metals, are in great demand because of this. As the population grows and grows, these things will become more important. Unless we decide we have no use for these resources, it is best to reuse them.

Answer 4

1 world 1 humanity all of us living on earth , do you cleain your house, this earth same a big house .hand to hand must be clean and prevent of any damage (war )the recycling save mother earth of
damage reza

Answer 5

it should be important to conserve resources and energy but so far it's more of a political statement

most of it ends in a land fill ( the realities of life ) nothing wrong with landfills except the old not in my back yard problem

Answer 6

It actually does more harm than good. Check this out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7734998370503499886&q=bullshit+recycling&hl=en

There are compelling arguments against it.

Answer 7

Tocut down on trash, and to cut down on time and waste in the producing of new materials for manufacture.

Answer 8

Without that, we may eventally choke ourselves to death in our own garbage. Think of plastics, machine parts ...

Answer 9

Because "cycling" is important! Any one can answer that!

Answer 10

because we can re-use many things easily and cheap like aluminum