About 70 percent of all metal is used only once before it is discarded. Much of the waste oil originally produced from our crude oil resource is disposed of rather than reused. In l980, each American used more than 580 pounds of paper, and the rapid increase of paper usage in our society has caused pulp trees to be used more quickly than they can be replaced. If these materials were recovered through recycling, valuable resources would be conserved. And, obviously, reducing the amount of materials entering landfills would also conserve valuable landfill space.
Recycling saves energy as well.
Recycling aluminum requires 96 percent less energy than producing aluminum from bauxite ore. Making paper from recycled stock requires 64 percent less energy than using wood pulp. Containers made from recycled plastic save up to 60 percent of the energy required to make the same product from virgin material. Other products can also be reprocessed with a significant energy savings. Challenges in Recycling Recycling is, at present, a small proportion of the total solid waste treatment system.