Recycling why should we

Recycling saves energy Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that required for producing new products from raw materials. Recycling helps protect the environment Recycling reduces the need for extracting, refining and processing raw materials all of which create air and water pollution.

Recycling reduces landfill When we recycle, recyclable materials are reprocessed into new products, and as a result the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites decreases which reduces emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Because more recycling means less extraction, it also means less pollution. Even better, when we recycle more, we send less material to landfills. Material decaying in landfills often emits methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide, so the less of that, the better!

So how can you find out how to recycle correctly? By using our brand new, searchable Recycling Guide. Want more recycling and waste-related content? Subscribe to our bi-monthly e-newsletter, The Loop, for the most current recycling, garbage and waste reduction news: bit. Recycling keeps trash out of the landfill.

Recycling reduces our need for new raw materials. That is why recycling is just one aspect of creating a sustainable society. What are the other aspects? Why do you refer to paper as a truly sustainable product? The woodfibre needed for papermaking can be cultivated to meet ongoing needs. Trees also produce life giving oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, one of the most common greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

Not if one grows them in a planned, responsible way as an agricultural product. Is all paper made from trees? No, at Sappi we have production processes that enable us to use not only new or virgin fibre, but also fibre derived from recycled paper.

This means we can reuse the original fibre up to seven times. Many of our papers also contain a high percentage of sugar cane fibre or bagasse, a byproduct of sugar production. What does it mean when you say that paper is biodegradable? Biodegradable products are products that are capable of being completely decomposed by bacteria or other biological means.

Paper is fully biodegradable, leaves no toxic residue in the soil or water and biodegrades fully within four months in sea water conditions. These pieces never biodegrade, though, and stay in the environment indefinitely. How long does it take plastic to degrade?