Almost nothing biodegrades quickly in modern landfills, which keep out the water and air needed for biodegradation. The main items that fill up our landfills aren't metals or plastics - but something as easily recycled as paper. In fact, about one third of the volume in our landfills is paper. Recycling takes less energy than making something new. Recycling a glass jar saves enough energy to light a light bulb for four hours.
Recycling conserves valuable natural resources, like trees and minerals.
Making products from recycled materials usually creates less air pollution and water pollution than making products from virgin materials. When the materials that you recycle go into new products, they don't go into landfills or incinerators, so landfill space is conserved. The recycling process creates far more jobs than landfills or incinerators, and recycling can frequently be the least expensive waste management method for cities and towns. People usually don't recycle simple because it's easier to throw something away without thinking about what happens to it afterwards. What You Can Do Figure out how well your school is recycling, and check out your home, too.