There are a variety of additional benefits associated with refuse recycling that go beyond landfill space savings. First is the simple conservation ethic. For many communities, it just does not seem right that material which can either be reused or recycled into something useful should be thrown away. Recycling also can provide a source of raw materials that have a monetary value. Many communities often become discouraged when their recycling program turns out not to be a money-maker.
Recycling also saves resources.
By some estimates, recycling one ton of newspaper saves the equivalent of 17 trees. For raw materials that must be imported, recycling helps reduce the balance of payments deficit by providing an indigenous source of feedstock material. Usually, less energy is needed to produce a new product from recycled material than from virgin material - so recycling saves energy. Products made from other materials, including glass, paper, and plastic, all require significantly less energy when recycled materials are used as feedstock instead of raw materials. Recycling can also be a source of new jobs and economic development.