Whether your company is in the business of creating products or providing services, sustainability should be an important part of the way you do business. Recycling is an essential part of sustainable business practices and can provide your company with numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits.
1. Recycling Saves Non-Renewable Resources
It takes far more energy to extract and process raw materials than it does to recycle and reuse them. For example, without paper recycling, 80% more trees would need to be cut down than with active paper recycling, while aluminum requires 95% less energy and glass uses 40% less. By saving these natural resources, we can conserve our planet’s resources.
2. Recycling Reduces Pollution
By diverting waste from landfills and incinerators, recycling helps reduce harmful gases released into the environment. Landfill sites and burning waste produce methane, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants that contribute to climate change and pollute clean air and water. Recycling and reused items also help to reduce the amount of trash that is sent to landfills, which can cause soil and water pollution.
3. Recycling Creates Jobs
The recycling industry provides direct and indirect jobs across the country, including drivers, sorters, mechanics at material recovery facilities, and more. In addition, recycling is a great way to help the economy and support local communities. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries estimates that recycling contributed $117 billion to the economy in 2021.