Recycling is something we hear about a lot, but why is it so important? Recycling means taking old materials that we don't need anymore, like paper, plastic bottles, glass, and metal cans, and turning them into new products. Doing this helps our planet in several important ways.
CEFR B1 Level
Understand key points and straightforward descriptions.
The Need for Recycling
First, recycling saves natural resources. To make new things, companies usually need to take materials from the earth. For example, paper is made from trees (wood), plastic is made from oil, and metal is dug from the ground. These resources are not endless. If we use too much, they will run out. By recycling, we use less new material. For example, recycling paper means fewer trees need to be cut down.
Second, recycling saves energy. Making products from recycled materials usually uses much less energy than making them from new, raw materials. For instance, making aluminium cans from recycled aluminium uses about ninety-five percent less energy than making them from the original metal ore. Using less energy is good because it often means less air pollution from power stations.
Third, recycling reduces rubbish. All the things we throw away have to go somewhere. Usually, rubbish goes to landfill sites – huge holes in the ground. These sites can look ugly, smell bad, and take up a lot of space. By recycling more, we send less rubbish to landfill.
Everyone can help. We can sort our rubbish at home, putting paper, plastic, glass, and metal in the correct bins. It's a simple action, but if millions of people do it, it makes a big difference for our world.