The natural degradation of plastic typically can take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to fully break down. This long process is one reason plastic is one of the most highly recommended recyclable items. When plastic is thrown away, it sits in landfills, clutters the oceans, or litters the sides of roads for many years before it breaks down or is properly removed. As a plastic recycling center in New Jersey, we at All County Recycling recommend recycling your plastic for many reasons. There are many environmental benefits to recycling plastic that will help save the Earth from unnecessary pollution.
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When you throw away your plastic items, they will end up at the landfill, where they will sit for many years to come. Plastics take up unnecessary space in landfills, and because they are not biodegradable, they will take up valuable space that could otherwise go to actual garbage. Recycling one ton of plastic will save about 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. This statistic shows how important it is to recycle plastic in order to make space for garbage that can actually degrade and break down over time.
Plastic is used to manufacture a wide variety of other goods. When plastic is recycled, it is reused to make loads of materials and goods, such as beverage and food containers, pieces for furniture, bottles for consumable supplies, and plenty more. The reuses of plastic are endless.
When plastic is made, it is manufactured in a process that requires a lot of energy consumption and resources. It requires water, petroleum, natural gas, and coal for energy. In order to avoid using and burning fossil fuels, recycle your plastic. Because petroleum is becoming scarce, it is important to save our natural resources for other purposes. Reducing the need to manufacture more plastics will help to keep petroleum levels higher.
Perhaps the most important reason to recycle plastic is to reduce pollution and harm done to our planet and the wildlife that calls it home. Plastic is the leading cause of litter on our planet. Because it is not biodegradable, it will sit as litter for up to 1,000 years. Plastic bottles and bags litter our rivers, lakes, and oceans, endangering our precious marine wildlife. By recycling your plastics, you will be saving the lives of many animals who suffer fates when they are trapped by plastics that are left littered in their homes.
There are many benefits to recycling plastic in your home or business. As a plastic recycling center in New Jersey, All County Recycling offers many recycling services that also expand past just plastics. We aim to make the earth a healthier place. Contact us today to learn about our recycling efforts and how you can join our efforts.
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community, the economy, and the environment. Products should only be recycled if they cannot be reduced or reused. EPA promotes the waste management hierarchy, which ranks various waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. The hierarchy prioritizes source reduction and the reuse of waste materials over recycling.
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Recycling provides many benefits to our environment. By recycling our materials, we create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.
Conserve natural resources: Recycling reduces the need to extract resources such as timber, water, and minerals for new products.
Climate change: According to the most recent EPA data, the recycling and composting of municipal solid waste (MSW or trash) saved over 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in .
Energy savings: Recycling conserves energy. For example, recycling just 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for more than 25 hours. To estimate how much energy you can save by recycling certain products, EPA developed the individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM).
Waste and pollution reduction: Recycling diverts waste away from landfills and incinerators, which reduces the harmful effects of pollution and emissions.
EPA released significant findings on the economic benefits of the recycling industry with an update to the national Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study in . This study analyzes the numbers of jobs, wages and tax revenues attributed to recycling. The study found that in a single year, recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for:
This equates to 1.17 jobs per 1,000 tons of materials recycled and $65.23 in wages and $9.42 in tax revenue for every ton of materials recycled. For more information, check out the full report.
For more information, please visit Post-Consumer Plastic Reuse.
Environmental Justice: Across the country, waste management facilities are concentrated in underserved communities, and they can have negative impacts on human health, property values, aesthetic and recreation values, and land productivity. Recycling provides these areas with a healthier and more sustainable alternative.
International: Waste generated in the United States also affects communities in other countries. Recycled materials are exported to some countries that are not able to manage those materials in an environmentally sound manner.
The recycling process is made up of three steps that are repeated over and over again. This creates a continuous loop which is represented by the familiar chasing arrows recycling symbol. The three steps of the recycling process are described below.
Businesses and consumers generate recyclables that are then collected by either a private hauler or government entity. There are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs. Visit How do I recycle... Common Recyclables for information on specific materials.
After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned, and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like raw materials would be, and prices go up and down depending on supply and demand in the United States and around the world.
After processing, recyclables are made into new products at a recycling plant or similar facility. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content.
Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.
You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled materials. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content. When you go shopping, look for the following:
Below are some of the terms used:
Some common products you can find that are made with recycled content include the following:
While the benefits of recycling are clear, the current system still faces many challenges.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Transforming U.S. Recycling and Waste Management: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic investment in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. With unprecedented funding to support state and local waste management infrastructure and recycling programs, EPA will improve health and safety and help establish and increase recycling programs nationwide.
National Recycling Strategy: EPA developed the "National Recycling Strategy" with a focus on advancing the national municipal solid waste recycling system. It identifies strategic objectives and actions to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective recycling system.
National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution: This strategy builds upon EPA&#;s "National Recycling Strategy" and focuses on actions to eliminate the release of plastic pollution into the environment.
America Recycles Day: Every year on November 15, EPA reminds everyone of the importance and impact of recycling through education and outreach.
Basel Convention: The United States is a signatory to the Basel Convention but has not yet become a Party to the Convention. The Basel Convention establishes standards for the transboundary movement of various types of waste.
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