Why is Recycling Important?
Before knowing the importance and benefits of recycling
and its relation to a better environmental condition, it is essential to
understand what is recycling. Recycling refers to the process of collecting
used materials which are usually considered as 'waste' and reprocessing them.
In this process these used materials are sorted and processed to be used as
'raw materials' for the production of new products. It varies from 'reuse' in
the sense that while reuse just means using old products repeatedly, recycling
means using the core elements of an old product as raw material to manufacture
new goods.
Many people want to recycle, but they never get started
because they don’t even know what they can recycle. If you’re curious about
what you can recycle from around the home, the truth is that it depends.
Almost anything can be recycled – or at the very least
reused – so that you can dramatically reduce the amount of trash you’re
throwing into a landfill somewhere. The key, though, is to figure out what you
can recycle at a facility near you.
Part of the problem when people get over-zealous about
what can be recycled is that the wrong type of paper, plastic, or metal mixed
in with the rest can ruin the recycling process and sometimes cause extensive
damage to recycling equipment. This is why it’s important to know exactly what
types of items your local recycling facility takes and to sort your recycling
carefully.
Also, it’s important that you clean all your recyclable
items of food, since you want to make sure they can get through the recycling
process without contaminating the recyclables. Carefully rinsing packaging and
cans can help the recycling process along, ensuring that everything you’re
tossing in the recycling bin can actually be turned into something new and
useful!
