Amy's Kitchen :: The Lemonslice

Reasons to Recycle
Source: YesWorld

Aluminum
Of all the recyclable items, an aluminum can is the easiest to make into a new one. It melts at a relatively low temperature and saves a great deal of mining.
Recycling one twelve ounce aluminum can saves an amount of energy equal to six ounces of gasoline, enough to power an efficient (40 MPG) car for two miles. In 1988, the aluminum cans that Americans recycled saved enough energy to power New York City's residential needs for six months. Compared to trashing it, recycling aluminum also cuts air pollution by 95%.

Glass
Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 20%, and water pollution by 50%, compared with trashing it. Every time you recycle a glass bottle that would have been trashed, you save enough energy to light a 100 watt bulb for four hours.

Although recycling glass costs jobs in the container production industry, it creates more jobs in the recycling industry. Michigan reports that creating a bottle bill (a system designed to promote recycling) led to a net increase of 4,500 new jobs. In New York a similar bill led to an increase of 5,000 full-time jobs.

Even better than recycling glass is reusing it. When we recycle glass, it often has to be trucked great distances to a factory where it can be melted for re-shaping. Because glass is heavy and dense, both the trucking and the melting require large amounts of energy.

Tin Cans
Recycling tin cans reduces related energy use by 74%, air pollution by 85%, solid waste by 95%, and water pollution by 76% compared to wasting them. That sounds great, doesn't it? But we only recycle 5% of our tin cans! Let's change that. If your recycling center takes them, terrific. If not, maybe they need a little convincing from you.