Recycling is a simple act that has huge benefits. By reducing your waste and choosing to recycle as much as possible, you can reap benefits for yourself, your family, your community and your entire world. The environment belongs to everyone, and every small step taken to protect it from being overrun by landfills is a step that can benefit everyone.
On a small scale level, recycling can help you by reducing the amount of trash you produce and therefore minimizing your trips to the dumpster or your costs for pay as you throw trash programs. Less trash also means fewer trash bags cluttering the garage waiting for trash day and fewer trash cans to haul to the curb.
The most obvious way to recycle is to sort your paper, plastic, glass and aluminum and ship these groups off to their respective recycling locations. However, you can also recycle at home by repurposing goods for new purposes. This will save you lots of money that would otherwise be spent purchasing new items. Recycle empty sauce and pickle jars as storage containers for craft supplies. Recycle old clothing from one family member by tailoring it to fit another. Turn milk jugs and worn out boots into flower pots for the porch. With creativity, nearly any item can be given new life with a different purpose.
When you do send items to a recycling plant, you’re reaping massive benefits for your community and planet as a whole. Recycling will help you preserve the planet for future generations by reducing the need to use additional resources to create new products. This saves energy, reduces waste that’s created in the production process and conserves countless resources. Recycling also prevents your trash from going to the landfill and further cluttering up the planet with garbage dumps.
Dumps aren’t the only places you’re saving from your trash. Wayward garbage doesn’t always stay in landfills, and often makes its way into rivers, lakes and the ocean. In these environments, your garbage can trap, injure and even kill wildlife. Unsuspecting creatures who ingest your trash can pay a dear price for it as well.
Recycling can help you save money at home, but it will also help save your conscience. With each item that you save from the trash, you’re taking one more proactive step to creating a cleaner, safer and healthier world for yourself and all the generations to come.