How does recycling save energy?
Harvesting, extracting, and processing the raw materials used to manufacture new products is an energy-intensive activity. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite. The amount of energy saved differs by material, but almost all recycling processes achieve significant energy savings compared to production using virgin materials. In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings of at least 660 trillion BTUs, which equals the amount of energy used in 6 million households annually. In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save 900 trillion BTUs, equal to the annual energy use of 9 million households. For more information on recycling and energy reduction, check out the EPA brochure Puzzled About Recycling’s Value? Look Beyond the Bin (PDF) (16 pp, 317K, about PDF). A
Recycling saves energy because the manufacturer doesn’t have to create the material from raw ingredients. Normally plastics, aluminum, paper and other recyclable material have to be produced from raw material. This means the raw material has to be harvested, extracted and processed, which is a very intensive process using high-energy consumption. By using recycled materials we save on energy consumption, which not only helps keep production costs down but saves on energy costs, too. In fact it is projected that in 2005, recycling will save 900 trillion BTUs, this is equal to the annual energy use of 9 million households. Saving energy now will help keep future costs down thus saving everyone money.
Harvesting, extracting, and processing the raw materials used to manufacture new products is an energy-intensive activity. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite. The amount of energy saved differs by material, but almost all recycling processes achieve significant energy savings compared to production using virgin materials. In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings of at least 660 trillion BTUs, which equals the amount of energy used in 6 million households annually. In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save 900 trillion BTUs, equal to the annual use of 9 million households. Q & A courtesy of the United States EPA.
When you recycle companies don’t have to make more of the product because it is being reused which saves energy and less carbon emissions from that factory. It also stops from creating more human waste which is great, garbage dumps keep getting bigger and bigger they just keep layering garbage dumps.
