IDT Energy: Recycling Saves Resources and Money

Recycling has really caught on in the past few years. Many municipalities collect recyclable materials separately from ordinary trash. There is good logic behind the efforts citizens are making to recycle whenever possible.

For one thing, in many instances it takes less energy to produce new objects from recycled materials then from new materials, thus saving money and resources. When old newspapers are used to print new ones; used aluminum cans are recycled to create new aluminum cans; or old glass jars and bottles are used instead of new glass; then resources are saved, and if less energy is needed to produce the objects, then money is saved, too.

In the particular case of aluminum cans, recycled scrap aluminum needs 95% less energy to make new cans than manufacturing them from bauxite ore, the raw material from which aluminum cans are manufactured.

Since many of our natural resources are limited, it makes sense to use them as conservatively as possible. One ton of recycled paper can save as much as 17 trees, and needs only half as much water to transform into new paper.

The next time you separate out your newspapers for the recycling bin, just remember that you are helping to preserve the earth’s trees, which are the lungs of the earth.
IDT Energy encourages consumers to recycle whenever possible.