Recycling
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Recycling is the process of collecting, sorting, and converting discarded materials in to raw inputs used to produce the same or new products.
All of the materials recycled as part of the programs provided by Recology reduce the consumption of virgin materials. Our recycling programs include collecting food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, plastics, glass, metal, and construction and demolition material, bulky items, clothing, carpets and much more.
There are many benefits to recycling. Between 17 and 31 trees are saved for every ton of 100% recycled paper purchased, says Recycled Papers, The Essential Guide by Claudia Thompson, published by the MIT Press. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists some of the positive impacts of recycling that go far beyond trees. These include:
- Protecting and expanding U.S. manufacturing jobs
- Reducing the need for landfilling and incineration
- Preventing pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials, including keeping 60 pounds of air pollution out of the atmosphere for every ton of 100% recycled paper used
- Saving energy from natural resource extraction
- Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change
- Conserving natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals for future generations
Recycling is an important part of resource recovery but the benefits are not fully realized until consumers favor products with recycled content when shopping. Consider purchasing products made with recycled content to help sustain a viable market for recovered materials like plastic, fabric, glass and paper. Recycling is just one step in conserving resources, but it goes hand in hand with asking manufacturers to use recovered materials in their products, and to use less material in their packaging.
