How does Reducing, Reusing and Recycling my waste benefit the environment?
Reducing, reusing and recycling your waste benefits the environment in a number of ways. Firstly, it saves energy. For example, making an aluminium can from recycled materials uses 20 times less energy than making it from its raw materials.
Reducing, reusing and recycling waste also reduces the need for landfill. Much of Scotland's waste is currently send to landfill. Although there may always be a need for landfill, this is not a sustainable method of managing our waste in the long term as there is a limit to the amount of space available in Scotland for landfill. Also, if not managed properly, as well as producing greenhouse gases, landfill sites can pollute water by producing the toxic solution, 'landfill leachate'. Unless prevented, this can cause damage to the animal and plant life in rivers, or remain in the ground to cause damage in the future.
Reducing, reusing and recycling your waste benefits the environment in a number of ways. Firstly, it saves energy. For example, making an aluminium can from recycled materials uses 20 times less energy than making it from its raw materials.
Reducing, reusing and recycling waste also reduces the need for landfill. Much of Scotland's waste is currently send to landfill. Although there may always be a need for landfill, this is not a sustainable method of managing our waste in the long term as there is a limit to the amount of space available in Scotland for landfill. Also, if not managed properly, as well as producing greenhouse gases, landfill sites can pollute water by producing the toxic solution, 'landfill leachate'. Unless prevented, this can cause damage to the animal and plant life in rivers, or remain in the ground to cause damage in the future.
