This may surprise many people, but recycling has many benefits that can contribute to a robust economy. So how does this happen? An efficient system is what defines a strong economy. Having to pay for resources that are exceedingly growing scarce can severely stifle an economy. Recycling is the solution and can help the economy in more ways than one. Recycling helps to prevent paying for a number of things including purchasing fossil fuels from other countries, mining iron ore and not having to plant as many trees because of deforestation. Also, when we incorporate sustainability and develop better recycling processes, the economy gets a boost and more jobs are created and employment increases. Additionally, all the money saved is diverted to where it is needed the most when the cost of maintaining the current waste disposal system goes down. So lets take a look at a few more benefits of living a green lifestyle.

Saves Energy

We can save production and energy costs and reduce the impact of raw materials’ extraction and processing on the environment by reusing and recycling plastics, glass, paper, and other materials.

The principle of resource efficiency is what recycling strictly follows. The principle states that products should be utilized to their utmost potential.  We can conserve natural resources and energy by using recycled materials instead of raw materials to manufacture new products. By adopting recycling as a part of their production strategy, companies will lower their own costs in addition to saving energy and helping the environment.

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Reduce Greenhouse gas Emissions

You save energy when you recycle products. This will result in fewer greenhouse emissions which is a major contributor to the global warming crisis. By minimizing the number of pollutants that are released into the environment, we become a part of the solution and part of the climate action task force. Recycling also helps in reducing water and air pollution. Recycling 50 million tons of waste is equivalent to taking 20 million cars off the road. This clearly shows the environmental benefit of recycling. Moreover, recycling reduces contamination risk from landfills, pollution, and environmental impact from mining or extracting new materials.

More utilization of ‘green’ technologies

People are slowly moving towards ‘greener’ or environmental friendly technologies as the use of recycling products increases. Recently, there has been an increase in the use of renewable energy sources such as geothermal, wind and solar. This increase in use of renewable energy sources has helped to reduce environmental pollution and conserve energy.

There are many economic benefits of recycling and living sustainable lives. Every person can contribute to a greener environment by simply incorporating daily sustainable habits. There was a time when making the green change was an option, but today it is unfortunately a necessity. The climate crisis is upon us, and it is causing global devastation. We must make changes now in our individual lives as well as incorporate sustainable practices in government and the business communities. The decisions we make today greatly impacts the economy of tomorrow.