Benefits of
Recycling Plastic Bottles
We
all use plastic bottles, there is really no way
around it. Plastic has become a big part of
everyone lives. Plastic is much more desirable
than glass because it is usually lighter and
does not break as easily. Plastic comes in many
forms; however, the most used form is in plastic
bottles. Plastic is one of the many materials
that can be recycle, yet, for some reason, many
people still have not considered the benefits.
Let us have a look at the benefits of recycling
plastic bottles.
There are five areas in which recycling plastic
bottles can benefit you, those you love, and the
world around you. These five areas include:
1. Oil
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
3. Energy
4. Reuse
5. Landfill Space
Conserve our Oil
We all know how precious oil is today, in fact,
it is so precious that it has caused the price
of gas, foods, and other items to jump
dramatically. However, what many people do not
realize is that by recycling plastic bottles, we
are saving oil. One ton of recycled plastic
bottles can save almost four barrels of oil.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Recycled items take less processing. This means
that the new manufacturing does not require as
much energy and does not emit as much pollution,
which then means you see a reduction in
greenhouse gasses.
Conserving Our Energy
Plastic bottles used in water and soft drink
bottles are made of what is called Polyethylene
Terephthalate, also known as PET. Just one pound
of recycled PET can save as much as
twelve-thousand BTU's in energy. At the same
time, as mentioned previously, it takes
two-thirds less energy to manufacture from
recycled products, as it does to create new.
Reuse Benefits
What many people do not understand about
recycling is that what you see now, is not
always what it will be later. In many cases,
that plastic bottle you are now drinking out of,
may be something totally different once it is
recycled. For instance, your plastic bottle may
become carpeting, it may become someone's
jacket, or it might even become a part of
someone's deck. What you see, is not always what
you get when it comes to recycling.
Save Our Landfills
One of the biggest problems today is that our
landfills are running out of space. We are
needing to create new landfills, which take up
more space and puts more trash into our earth.
However, you may be thinking how much room can
one plastic bottle really take. The point is
that if everyone thinks that way, think of how
many plastic bottles that is.
It really builds up before you know it; however,
just a ton of plastic bottles recycled can free
up 7.4 cubic yards in our landfills. That's a
lot of space that is being used unnecessarily,
when there are recycling avenues everywhere that
you turn.
As you can see, there are many benefits of
recycling plastic bottles.
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