Why is reusing better than recycling?

Don’t stop recycling, but do consider reusing (basically, try to lengthen the life of an item). Recycling, as we generally know it, requires reprocessing an item so that it becomes a new raw material, (which requires a certain amount of energy just to do so), and then using it to create a new product. There are some items, such as glass bottles, which can be considered good materials for reusing. In a sense, reusing is the prime objective in recycling. The economic and environmental impacts of recycling are complex, there are many arguments out there, but as the scientific findings will certainly continue to evolve, so should we.

Reuse:

• Reduces our carbon footprint as a community
• Keeps goods and materials out of the waste stream
• Reduces the strain on valuable resources
• Less air and water pollution than making a new item or recycling
• Results in less hazardous waste
• Saves money in purchases and disposal costs
• Generates new business and employment opportunities for both small entrepreneurs and large enterprises
• Creates an affordable supply of goods that are often of excellent quality
• Creates smarter solutions for used glass commodities, so they can efficiently benefit our overall community
• Creates a new packaging source for businesses