How Does Recycling Effect the Environment Essay

Why Is Recycling Important, you may ask. Recycling is reusing materials in original or changed forms rather than discarding them as wastes. In reusing material or changing material into new materials rather than throwing it away the environment as well as we benefit from it. The process of recycling protects the environment. With the world witnessing a global environmental decline, this is considered as one of the most important benefits of recycling. As we, all know that paper is manufactured from trees. As the demand for paper increases, a number of trees are being cut to produce paper. By recycling paper, we can prevent the destruction of forests. Today, a number of forests are being destroyed to meet the ever-increasing demand of paper. Recycling a ton of mixed paper or newspaper is equivalent to saving 12 trees. Given that the trees keep the surrounding environment clean by sucking up carbon dioxide from the air we breathe, it would be wise to use recycled paper as much as possible. Most people would agree that recycling not only affects the environment but it also makes the world a better place for plants and animals. For example, recycling paper products can in the end, preserve a large number of trees that otherwise be used to make new paper. This is one way that recycling directly affects the environment. Trees provide homes for birds and other animals, they provide shade for what would otherwise be a hot and dry land, and they are crucial to the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance in our atmosphere. Recycling can definitely have a positive effect on our world. Paper is not the only item that should be recycled. Glass bottles and plastic containers have become a problem for cities and private companies who operate landfills. The sheer numbers of containers thrown away take up a lot of landfill space, which puts companies and municipalities in the position of having to take up more land for another landfill area. Several decades ago, activists who demonstrated against large companies and their waste products used the phrase, â€Å"There is no away!† What this meant was that we could not really get rid of anything. We can only change its shape and form. Recycling is a way to make this change so that it clutters and pollutes less. Recycling also takes used materials from â€Å"trash† to usable products if handled properly. Scientists and social activists have also pointed out that making new products from recycled materials means less manufacturing. With the correct methods, we can have a comfortable, convenient life without the pollution and massive use of natural resources that manufacturing brings. Reducing the number of landfills might mean a healthier food chain for both humans and animals. When we place materials in landfills and they do not break down over time, we are creating a potentially dangerous situation. The chemicals used in manufacturing many modern-day products can filter into the soil, pollution the water and any plants that grow on or near that area. This is especially true with computer parts, batteries and other items that contain certain chemicals. Recycling used products is one of the best ways to save the environment. It is important to recycle, to avoid environmental harm. Used plastic bottles, glass, and newspapers can be effectively recycled to make useful items. In the long stretch of time, recycling affects the planet positively because we will use less of our natural resources – trees, water, minerals etc. When it comes to the environment, using less means we have more.