What is the Difference Between Recycling and Reusing?

The best waste management services in your vicinity may offer recycling, reusing or both. Keep in mind, that they are not the same thing. In fact, recycling and reusing are miles apart.

What is Recycling?

Recycling is the process of converting discarded goods, such as aluminum or glass, and rebuilding them into either the same or completely different materials. These are then sent to businesses for further use. In short, recycling the conversion of waste into new materials.

The key benefits of Recycling

Environmental

The process has plethora of benefits when it comes to the environment of the planet. Recycling of wood, plastic, metal and glass would result in more trees being saved, less plastic being produced and saving natural reserves for the future generations.
Due to recycling, there has been a significant decrease in deforestation. Not only that, but the oceans are already suffering with tons of plastics along the seabed and recycling of the plastic materials has reduced the dumping process. In retrospect, since there are less trees and oceans being compromised, the pollution of air and water is coming to a decrease.

Cheaper

Recycling has also been a key factor in the reduction of demand for raw materials. Since the raw materials are reextracted from the waste, businesses get them for a cheaper rate. Hence, the byproduct of a business is cheaper to the consumers. That’s not all! Due to recycling, the budget allocated towards engineering landfills has also been saved, giving the government more to focus on education and health.

Efficient

Production of materials from recycled components consumes less energy. Due to that, the final product is produced three times faster than it would from natural ores while producing the same level of utility.

What is Reusing?

Reusing is the idea of using a product available for a specific purpose to carry out a completely different purpose. An example that is commons is, the use of glass jugs to aesthetically pleasing light bulbs.

Key Benefits of Reusing

Cost Savings

As the definition depicts, one can simply challenge their inner innovator to come up with a new idea for reusing their aging product. This in return saves money by stopping the consumer of going to the mall and purchasing new products.

Reducing Garbage

Since the products are being reused or reallocated inside a person’s home, they are not being sent to landfills or recycling centers, hence, the amount of rubbish produced decreases.

Promoting Raw Material Continuity

As reusing does not require a new product, the burden on the need for raw material decreases as the demand for the product to some extent decreases. This ensures a safety net for the already depleting raw materials of the planet, extending their existence.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to reuse or recycle, it results in making the planet a better place to live on. As stated in this article, both methods are beneficial. One challenges the creativity of human beings and other relies on science to aid the entire process.