1. Recycling saves natural resources. By making products from recycled materials instead of virgin materials, we conserve land and reduce the need to drill for oil and dig for minerals.
2. Recycling saves energy. It usually takes less energy to make recycled products; recycled aluminum, for example, takes 95 percent less energy than new aluminum from bauxite ore.
3. Recycling saves clean air and water. In most cases, making products from recycled materials creates less air pollution and water pollution than making products from virgin materials.
4. Recycling saves landfill space. When the materials that you recycle go into new products, they don't go into landfills or incinerators, thereby conserving landfill space.
5. Recycling saves money and creates jobs. The recycling process creates far more jobs than landfills or incinerators, and recycling can frequently be the least expensive waste-management method for cities and towns.
