Recycling can benefit the economy and the environment. However, not everyone is aware of the advantages and challenges of recycling. Use these commonly asked questions and answers to learn more about the basics of recycling.
How is Recycling Beneficial For The Environment?
The short answer is that recycling helps to conserve energy and natural resources. Research shows that recycling just 10 plastic bottles will conserve enough energy to power a laptop for more than a day. If manufacturers use recycled materials, it reduces the need for businesses to extract and process new materials.
Can The Recycling Process Be Contaminated?
If hazardous materials enter the recycling process that does not belong, they can contaminate the other materials. This can lead to the recycled materials being unusable when the process is complete. This places emphasis on the importance of separating and sorting materials in the most effective way possible beforehand.
Why is it Important To Have Several Recycling Bins At Home?
Having several recycling bins will help you to sort materials into the categories (plastic, paper, food) they belong to. This makes it easier when people want to take their waste to the nearest recycling station. Food waste can be used to make a compost heap for a garden.
What Extra Costs Are Involved In Recycling?
Besides the cost of the machinery and chemicals used to recycle materials, the process can be very labour intensive if materials are poorly recycled. Materials that are not correctly sorted or separated will be more costly and labour intensive than if materials that have already been sorted. There are also more costs associated with contaminated materials.
How Can I Dispose of Batteries?
Most people are aware of the hazardous liquids inside batteries, yet few people are unsure of how to dispose of their used batteries. All household batteries (AA and AAA), smartphone batteries, and car batteries can be recycled if they are taken to a designated recycling plant. However, it is best to invest in rechargeable batteries to avoid the need to dispose of them.
Can Disposable Coffee Cups Be Recycled?
Few people realise that coffee cups can most often not be recycled. Most disposable coffee cups are made from polyethene film and paper. The combination of these two materials makes it extremely difficult for traditional recycling companies to recycle.
Why Do Recycling Stations Have Different Rules?
People who buy recycled brands and recycled material may have discovered that manufacturing stations accept different categories of materials. This all depends on an item’s re-manufacture value. For example, white paper is much cheaper to recycle than brown paper, and some recycling companies may therefore only accept white wastepaper.
The recycling industry faces a lot of challenges down the road, but if more awareness is spread about the benefits of recycling, more people and businesses may get into the habit of recycling products. Read our story to find out more about the benefits of recycling.