Four Environmental Benefits of Recycling Your Cardboard

We are all well-aware of the benefits recycling has on our environment, yet we often engage in behaviors that contradict that awareness.  Recycling is a great way to reduce pollution and conserve our valuable resources by reusing already manufactured materials.  A great example of this is the recycling of cardboard.  Cardboard is essentially thick paper.  When you are disposing of your cardboard, you should recycle it rather than send it to the local landfill.  There are four environmental benefits of recycling your cardboard waste.

It Saves Water

When trees are turned into paper products, they are put through a process called pulping.  This process breaks down the wood into finer particles, and it requires a lot of water.  By recycling your cardboard, you are cutting down on the need for the pulping process.  This saves a lot of water from being wasted on this process.

It Saves Trees

Paper and cardboard are made from trees.  Simply put, when you recycle your cardboard, you eliminate the need for more trees.  Instead, the cardboard can be repurposed into other paper products.  Cardboard can actually be repurposed four or five times over before its fibers are destroyed, making it an extremely recyclable product.   This will help eliminate deforestation and preserve our trees, giving the environment a break from harm from the manufacturing process.

It Cuts Down on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Because it can be repurposed many times over, cardboard recycling can help reduce energy consumption.  A lot of energy is used in the manufacturing of paper products.  When cardboard is recycled and reused, there is a lower consumption of energy required, which leads to a low consumption of fossil fuels.  This process eliminates air pollution because it eliminates the need for burning fossil fuels and other energy sources that contribute to the greenhouse effect.  Also, when cardboard sits in a landfill, it released methane gas, a popular greenhouse gas, as it is broken down.  By recycling the cardboard instead of throwing it away, you are giving it a purposeful destination.

It Saves Landfill Space

Think about this.  Cardboard isn't small.  Often times, it is bulky, and people typically don't take the time to break it down before they chuck it in their garbage cans.  Even though cardboard is biodegradable, it takes a considerable amount of time before it is fully broken down.  In the meantime, it takes up valuable space in the landfill.  Instead of throwing it away and taking up space that could be reallocated to real garbage, the simple solution is to help cardboard recycling in Orlando and the rest of the world to be successful.  

Recycling cardboard is simple to do, and it can have lasting positive effects on the environment around us.  As a proponent of cardboard recycling in Orlando, we at Orlando Recycling aim to provide a solution for our communities to ensure a healthier environment and planet.  Contact us today to learn more about our recycling solutions.