Recycling

Recycling is a process whereby waste materials are transformed into feedstock to make new products. Many of the waste by-products generated by households, business and industry have inherent value. Recycling helps to capture that value and save energy and natural resources in the process.  Until society can adopt "comprehensive zero waste" policies, recycling will be a preferred management tool for resources that might otherwise go to "waste" in a landfill.

Recycling involves a series of activities to collect, sort, transport and process materials.  Processing physically changes a material into the form needed to meet new manufacturing specifications.  The recycling cycle is complete when goods and products made from recycled content are purchased.  Consumer demand for these products is critical to support commodity markets, the economic engine that drives recycling.

Recycling generates key economic, environmental and social benefits including:

• A reduced dependency on landfills and incineration as a means to manage waste.
• Conservation of natural resources such as trees, water, minerals, etc.
• Pollution prevention from a reduction in mining and other resource extraction acitivities.
• Recycling creates jobs, generates revenues and encourages capital investments – all of which stimulates the economy
• Recycling conserves energy because it typically takes less energy to make a product from recycled rather than virgin feedstocks.
• Energy conservation translates into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change.