It costs three times as much to discard glass as to recycle.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States recycled 3 million tons of glass in 2009, out of the 11.8 million tons of glass that were discarded altogether that year. Among the many reasons to think twice before dumping glass bottles into the trash are the significant economic benefits of recycling for local communities and manufacturers.
Saves Energy
Every one million tons of glass that is recycled rather than landfilled saves the energy equivalent of 460,000 barrels of oil, according to Eco-Cycle, a nationwide non-profit recycling organization. Since recycled glass melts at a lower temperature (and thus doesn't have to be heated as much) than virgin raw materials used in glass manufacture, using recycled glass to manufacture new glass products consumes less energy and also allows furnaces to last longer. By the end of 2013, glass manufacturers aim to use 50 percent recycled material in the production of new glass products, which would save enough energy to power 45,000 homes per year.
Lowers Manufacturing Costs
The more energy efficient glass manufacturing becomes, the more cost efficient it becomes as well. Aside from the decrease in energy expenses when using recycled glass rather than virgin raw materials, recycled glass also costs less to acquire.
Less Expensive Than Disposal
In the long run, recycling saves more money than landfilling, which can ultimately cost three times as much as recycling. While collection and processing of recyclable products is immediately more expensive than landfilling and disposal, selling the recyclable materials to manufacturers and consumers offsets the greater expense. On the other hand, postdisposal cost of cleanup at the nation's largest landfills can cost as much as tens to hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
Job Creation
Because of the number of steps involved in the recycling process -- collecting, processing, manufacturing and reselling -- for every 10,000 tons recycled per year, the recycling industry yields about 35 jobs for every one job at a landfill, which yields no further economic activity once products have been collected and disposed of. In Los Angeles, California, the recycling and reuse industries yield a direct contribution to the local economy of more than $1.2 billion dollars in employment, sales, resales and services each year. According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, if the state can meet its goal of 50 percent recycling, the result would be an extra $2 billion contribution to the state's economy, as well as the creation of over 45,000 jobs over the course of 7 years.
