Why is Recycling and Re-Use important?

There are so many reasons that can fill pages! To get started, think of the amount of waste not ending up in a landfill but being recycled or reused, thus saving the earth from potentially dangerous chemicals and contamination of water resources. Conservation of resources which may be limited is also another good reason to recycle, thinking about the sustainability of future generations. Consider the fact that if all newspapers were recycled throughout the year, we would save about 250,000,000 trees per year! And remember, the EU imports many rare raw materials and thus recycling increases also the security of supply. By recycling we save lots of energy as well! As an example, we would need more energy to manufacture one new aluminum can than to recycle 20 cans! Furthermore, the economy is strengthened. In fact, in the EU the recycling sector has a turnover of €24 billion and employs about 500,000 persons. It is estimated that if Member States recycled 70% of their waste, another half million of new jobs would be created.