Our limited reserves of natural resources are quickly depleted, especially with the growing use of disposable items and packaging. The world recycles millions of tons of them. The growing level of use and landfill inflicts enormous damage on non-renewable and irreplaceable natural resources from our forests and mines.

The processing of used materials for making new products and packaging reduces the consumption of natural resources. By recycling millions of tons of waste, millions of tons of ores, coal, limestone, oil and many more are stored. Through recycled newspapers, magazines, office paper and packages, millions of trees are being saved. Recycling often creates better quality products than those produced from primary raw materials; For example, the tin in the cans is much cleaner (and thus more valuable) after it has been recycled.

The reduction of waste generation agents can further reduce the need for landfilling and preserve a lot more natural resources.

Facts:

Recycling a ton of:

• paper retains 17 trees, 299 liters of oil, 26,495 liters of water, and 2.5 cubic meters of landfill.
• Steel store 1,134 kg iron ore, 635 kg of coal and 54 kg of limestone.
• Steel store 1,134 kg iron ore, 635 kg of coal and 54 kg of limestone.

Recycling saves Energy

Energy saving is a very significant factor in protecting the environment, because energy consumption requires consuming scarce fossil fuels and generates emissions of numerous air and water pollutants. The steps in the supply chain for the industry's recycled materials (including collection, processing and transportation) usually cost less energy than those for supplying primary materials (including extraction, fining, transport and processing).

Additional amounts of energy are saved as a result of the fact that the recycled raw materials in the production process have at least once undergone processing.

Recycled paper reduces the energy used for production in half. Every pound of recycled steel saves 10.000 BTUs of energy, sufficient to power a 60-watt light bulb more than 50 hours. The recycling of 1 ton of glass saves the equivalent of 34 liters of oil. Recycling aluminum cans (UBC) requires only about 5% of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite. The recycling of just one box saves enough electric power to power a 100-watt light bulb for 3.5 hours.

Recycling reduces greenhouse emissions

By reducing the energy intensity of the industry by recycling waste, the amount of harmful emissions is being reduced and helps avoid global climatic changes. This is because much of the energy used in the manufacturing process and the transportation power involves burning fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel and coal, which are among the main carbon generators and other environmentally damaging greenhouse gases. Other advantages derive from reduced emissions from incinerators and landfills, as well as the reduced cutting of the forests that absorb carbon emissions.

Facts:

Energy saved using recycled materials instead of primary resources (ores):

• 95% for aluminium
• 85% for copper
• 80% for plastics
• 74% for iron and steel
• 64% for the paper

Recycling reduces pollutant emissions in air and water

In addition to greenhouse gases, recycling can reduce air and water pollution from a range of harmful substances. By reducing the need for extraction and processing of primary raw materials from the subsurface, recycling can eliminate pollution associated with the initial stages of processing of the products: extraction, refining and processing. These processes pollute the air, water and the ground with poisonous substances, such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, methane, and sulphur dioxide. The reduction is also the result of energy savings, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.