Recycling ranks third in the sustainable waste management actions of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

By recycling, you are part of an important and expanding area of resource management. Recycling materials reduces the resources used in the mining, forestry, manufacturing, transport and waste disposal needed to make the products we all use.

Recycling your household packaging and containers means we are using resources more efficiently, and less resources are lost to landfill sites.

A major benefit of recycling is the reduction in greenhouse-gas production (e.g. carbon dioxide and methane). Greenhouse gasses are causing the climate change we are experiencing now.

Some of the other reasons recycling is so important include:

  • provides employment for communities
  • reduces landfill costs to communities/councils, and environmental risk from landfill sites
  • provides materials for local and international manufacturing
  • reduces the natural resources used to produce consumer items (e.g. minerals, water, forests, gas, soil and coal)
  • reduces the resources used and environmental damage incurred through mining and forestry, and manufacturing raw materials into consumer goods
  • reduces the amount of recyclable materials lost to landfills, incineration, illegal dumping and roadside litter
  • provides countries with an opportunity to create a more sustainable circular economy that will reduce the pressure on our Earth.

Visit Planet Ark for more information.