Is it worth it to recycle? (2023)

Is it worth trying to recycle?

Recycling any type of material is simply better than sending it to landfill or incineration where it releases greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Recycling materials also significantly reduces demand for natural resources, our reliance on fossil fuels, and the impacts associated with extracting both.

"The current 2021 U.S. plastic recycling rate is estimated to be between 5% and 6%," the report states. "Factoring in additional losses that aren't measured, such as plastic waste collected under the pretense of 'recycling' that are burned, instead, the U.S.'s true plastic recycling rate may be even lower."

The end product of the recycled packaging waste turns out to be downcycled into lower value or non-recyclable products thus just delaying the inevitable journey of the single-use plastics to the landfills.

Environment-green explains why and how recycling helps the environment. Some noteworthy facts include: “By recycling 1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.”

Reusing is better than recycling because it saves the energy that comes with having to dismantle and re-manufacture products. It also significantly reduces waste and pollution because it reduces the need for raw materials, saving both forests and water supplies.

Recycling helps save energy. When you are using a recycled material to create a new material – it uses less energy than it would require to make a completely new product with raw materials. It lessens the waste that goes to landfills. The more everyone recycles, the less that it will have to go and sit in a landfill.

Despite their desire to champion sustainability, some Millennials aren't great recyclers – a challenge that waste and recycling providers are keen to address. Surprisingly, a recent UK poll revealed that less than fifty per cent of all Millennials recycle items where this would be possible.

THE ANSWER. No, 79% of your recycling does not end up in a landfill. This highest estimate for how much recycling ends up in the trash was a third.

Germany has the highest recycling rate in the world. The nation recycles an impressive 66.1% of its waste.

Did you know that steel is the most recycled material in the world? In North America, we recycle around 80 million tons of steel each year. That's more than the weight of all of the cars in the entire state of California. It's also more than all the paper, plastic, aluminum and glass we recycle each year combined.

Is recycling actually worse for the environment?

It's certainly better for the environment than landfilling or burning unsorted trash. But there's a growing worry among environmentalists that it could be promoting additional consumption — and additional waste.

The EPA estimates that 68 percent of all paper and cardboard recycling actually winds up being recycled every year.

If everyone in the world stopped recycling, we would be up to our ears in no time in — you guessed it — garbage. Waste disposal has become a huge problem in many parts of the world. And here in the United States, we produce more garbage than practically anywhere else.

Reuse Whenever Possible

Take your own canvas bags to the supermarket. Buy sturdy water bottles for your family. Instead of throwing food out after dinner, compost it. Old clothing can be donated to secondhand stores and homeless shelters, and cloth napkins can be used instead of paper.

Some say the environmental benefits of recycling are overrated, not just because it takes energy but because it can lead to pollution. This is said of electronics recycling in particular. Many electronics slated for recycling are shipped overseas to less-developed countries, where they are sorted by hand.

WRAP carries out extensive research into household food waste, and it, too, has found that those aged 18–34 generate more avoidable waste than any other age group, nearly 50% more than those aged 65 and over.

Millennials (ages 25-34) are overall the least into recycling – a solid half of this age group is split between only recycling on occasion but not often or simply not at all. Further data reveal the extent to which age is such a critical factor underlying recycling habits.

Recycling properly and following the correct guidelines is a vital part of doing your bit in the most ethical way; something as simple as putting your materials in the correct recycling bins is already a step in the right direction. This is fine for waste products made from one material.

Why did China stop taking our recycling?

China's imports of waste – including recyclables – has been in decline over the last year. Imports of scrap plastic have almost totally stopped due to the trade war. China said that most of the plastic was garbage, and too dirty to recycle.

Why recycling isn't working in the U.S. Many recyclables become contaminated when items are placed in the wrong bin, or when a dirty food container gets into the recycling bin. Contamination can prevent large batches of material from being recycled. Other materials can't be processed in certain facilities.

Likewise, environmental and health considerations have led China to introduce the waste import policy in 2017 which bans the import of 24 types of solid waste, including certain types of plastics, paper, and textiles.

Chile. Chile is the number one worst country for recycling plastic, with less than 1% of their total usage actually being recycled.

Sweden recycles an astounding 99 percent of locally-produced waste, thanks to the sensitiveness of its citizens to the environment and sophisticated collection techniques.