Tek-Bull

Does Recycling Really Save Us Money?

The Question Reads: Milhouse93 – How much does recycling actually save us, in terms of cost? I am not questioning the efficacy of the process, but is anything lost during it?

Answers: Usernameissomething – Popular Mechanics has a nice article about recycling. Here

Summary: Environmentally there is no debate that it is worth it, even when including energy costs like pickup and sorting. Aluminum, for example, requires 96 percent less energy to make from recycled cans than it does to process from bauxite. At the other end of the spectrum, recycled glass uses only about 21 percent less energy–but it still comes out ahead, according to a study by Washington-based environmental consultant Jeffrey Morris. Recycled plastic bottles use 76 percent less energy and newsprint about 45 percent less, he found.

However economically it does not always make sense. Just because it requires less energy does not mean that it is a cheaper process. For example labor costs may be more intensive for a recycling process. As noted in the article it really depends on the location, material, and demand for the material.

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