We all know that recycling is a good idea – but just how does it work to save the environment?
Recycling has many benefits – saving energy being one of the biggest ones. Recycling saves energy by reducing (and sometimes even completely eliminating) the need to make items from scratch. The demand for new products requires a vast amount of energy and labour, and creates huge amounts of waste. Plus, it’s expensive to collect, move and refine the natural resources needed to create products. The very same products can be made with less energy and expense by using recycled materials. Using things more than once means we don’t have to use new resources.
Using recyclable materials reduces the need to extract, transport and refine raw materials, thus conserving natural resources and leading to vast energy savings. The process of making products from recycled materials is much simpler and less energy-intensive, as recycled materials require much less processing to turn them into usable materials. Fewer fossil fuels are burnt, and less expense is generated, because recycling is much cheaper than extracting and processing virgin resources. This allows our natural resources to be used at a reasonable rate – rather than being completely used up. It’s efficient, it’s effective and it saves money as well as energy. The best source of energy saving comes from the energy we didn’t need to use in the first place.
The environmental benefits of recycling paper, plastic and aluminium are well documented – but what about the energy saving benefits of recycling food waste and green waste?
Recycling green and food waste has the benefits of reducing landfill and harmful greenhouse gas emissions – but it also saves energy as well. Studies have shown that the annual food waste for a single person from the United States alone could power a TV for 22 hours, a fridge for 11 hours or a vacuum cleaner for 8 hours. Reducing the amount of food and green waste sent to landfill can result in huge energy savings, plus those waste products can be recycled and put to good use elsewhere.
Recycled green and food waste is made into high-grade composts, premium soils, and soil conditioners that increase the fertility of the soil, enhance growth rates and reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilisers. There’s no need to buy fertiliser, compost and soil conditioners when you can use what has already been removed and processed – thus saving money and energy.
By recycling your food and green waste properly using a service such as NuGrow, you’ll be playing a vital role in saving energy, the environment and our precious natural resources. It’s not only our duty but it’s our privilege to use our materials and natural resources to their fullest potential by recycling them. It’s a crucial step on the path to becoming more environmentally conscious and building a sustainable circular economy. Get in contact to find out how we can help. Taking small steps can lead to big change.