Why Should We Recycle?

At Spring Power & Gas we make every effort to practice sustainability and support organizations that promote this cause. For instance, the Environmental Fund enables us to assist non-profit groups that raise awareness and seek to create long-term, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solutions for communities around the world.

Do you want to live sustainably? You can start by recycling at home. You might ask yourself, “Why should I recycle?” Let’s check out some of the benefits of recycling and how this practice impacts the world around us. 

What Is Recycling and Why Should I Recycle at Home?

Recycling is the act of collecting used materials and turning them into new products or repurposing them. For example, recycling centers remove precious metals from old computer parts to be used in newer computer models. 

Some examples of recycling at home include turning old plastic bottles into plant pots or shredding paper plates and cups into garden mulch. 

Recycling used materials helps you minimize the waste your household creates. It also reduces your need to get new items and allows you to lessen the clutter at home. Other significant reasons to recycle include: 

You Could Save (and Earn) Money

Because recycling minimizes your need to buy new things for your home, you’ll save money on their purchase. If you begin growing garden plants in plastic bottles, for example, you eliminate the need to purchase new pots or supplies to construct a planter box.

You could also recycle to make a profit. Many households and even whole communities around the world now create, use, and sell eco-bricks, which are construction bricks made from plastic bottles stuffed with other plastic scraps. And, depending on where you live and the demand for materials, you may also be able to sell recyclables to your local recycling center. 

You Might Increase Your Property Value

Planning to sell your home in the future? When we don’t recycle, most of the waste we make at home goes to the local landfill. But landfills can decrease nearby property values. Not everyone is willing to live close to mountains of garbage that could waft unpleasant smells into the air and possibly compromise the groundwater. 

But since recycling reduces the amount of trash headed to the landfill, it also helps reduce the need for more landfills, lowering the risk of having one built close to your home. 

Why Should I Care about Recycling for the Environment?

Recycling not only benefits you but also your community and the environment as well—especially when we all do it together. Check out some of the ways recycling can impact the world around us:

Lessens the Need for Landfills  

We’ve mentioned earlier that recycling can reduce the need for more landfills in your area. Besides boosting property value, having fewer landfills also improves the community’s overall health. Studies show that living closer to landfill sites can lead to health issues like diarrhea, asthma, tuberculosis, and skin problems. Constant exposure to the toxic fumes and other particles coming from landfill waste contributes to these conditions. 

Reduces Water and Air Pollution

Because of the various kinds of waste dumped in them, landfills are also potent sources of greenhouse gases. By recycling our waste, we also help reduce the gases that pollute the air. 

Moreover, recycling means less trash could get dumped into sewers and other waterways leading to rivers, seas, and other bodies of water. 

Conserves Natural Resources

Recycling lowers the need to extract raw materials to create goods. It conserves limited natural resources like metals and those that require years to replenish, such as trees. Instead of throwing scrap paper away, you can recycle it into new sheets of paper. You not only save money on buying paper, but you save trees from getting cut down to make it. 

Consider Stanford University as an example. They claim to recycle over 2,300 tons of paper each year, an amount of paper sufficient to preserve almost 32,100 trees. Imagine how many trees we could save from being chopped down if all of us stopped wasting paper.

Creates Job Opportunities

Recycling centers require a wide range of workers with diverse specializations. If more communities support recycling, more recyclers can start-up and create job openings for locals. 

One report by the EPA states that recycling and reusing activities helped create over 680,000 jobs throughout the US in one year. We could help boost local economies while reducing the waste we create!

A Journey to a Sustainable Future

Why should I recycle? With reduced waste, we can all put less stress on the environment and communities, and this helps build a better, more sustainable future. 

Besides recycling, you can also be more sustainable by being more efficient with your power usage at home. Spring Power & Gas provides you with viable energy solutions. And to encourage you further, we also offer the Ecogold membership program where you can redeem rewards from brands like Best Buy, Home Depot, and Amazon.

If you have any questions about our services, visit our FAQ page or contact us at 1-888-710-4782.