Consumerism and the constant demand for products lead to the use of large amounts of resources and materials to create new products. Many of these resources are limited and therefore more and more difficult to achieve, on the other hand, their production causes negative effects on the planet. That’s why it’s important to make a second use of materials and recycle them in order to achieve both environmental and economic benefits.
Below we will explain the importance of recycling certain materials as well as their benefits.
Metal
Metal is one of the most recycled materials in the European Union, with up to 50% recycled packaging, 85% building materials and 95% transport elements.
The main advantage of this material is that it can be recycled indefinitely, as all its properties and characteristics are preserved in the recycling process.
Metal recycling helps to improve the current state of pollution, as well as saving large amounts of energy and water that would be needed if the process had to be started from scratch every time.
4 million tons of metal are recycled annually, and the recycling of this material is helping to improve some of the environmental problems.
Wood
The recycling of wood stands out for being one of the cleanest and most economical as its process does not require any kind of pre-treatment or any chemical substance but is made up of physical means and machinery.
Recycling wood is very important to prevent the generation of thousands of tons of wood waste, reduce the felling of trees and prevent deforestation.
The main source of recycled wood comes from industry, as it is not common to have large amounts of rubbish from this material at home.
Plastic
Consumption of plastic is one of the current problems that most worries and affects the environment and pollution. Plastic is the protagonist of the materials, we find it in large quantities in different sectors and products, this means that it is one of the most produced waste annually reaching numbers such as 300 million tons. For this reason, plastic recycling is one of the most necessary and relevant.
Its recycling is one of the most complex due to its low profitability, as the production of virgin plastic is cheaper. Recycling is one of the most complex due to its low profitability, as it is cheaper to produce vTot plastic and thus, its recycling brings many benefits to the planet such as the 66% reduction in energy, the proportion of new raw materials and improved sustainability.
Paper and cardboard
The paper industry is one of the most efficient in Spain, recycling approximately 75% of paper and cardboard waste per year and recovering up to 4 million tonnes between paper and cardboard.
The waste of these materials has very negative effects on the environment as their manufacture causes the felling of trees. On the other hand, when paper and cardboard are recycled, we are working together to protect forest resources, reduce water and land pollution, and reduce energy.
Glass
Glass is another material that can be recycled indefinitely, its process can be repeated as many times as necessary. In addition to being a 100% recyclable material, it retains all its properties.
In Spain, more than 70% of the glass consumed is recycled, which helps to reduce approximately 20% of air pollution, reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and save energy as it is avoided. both the burning of fuel and the energy needed to create new products.
As you can see, making a small gesture like separating the waste we consume can help improve air quality, save large amounts of energy, reduce pollution, and build a much better planet.
With everyone’s effort, we can change the planet!
It is everyone’s responsibility to care for and protect the Earth!
