Recycling part 2

Recycling saves energy.There is controversy on just how much energy is saved through recycling.
A paper mill uses 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled paper than it does to make paper from fresh lumber.Critics often argue that in the overall processes, it can take more energy to produce recycled products than it does to dispose of them in traditional landfill methods.
It is difficult to determine the exact amount of energy consumed or produced in waste disposal processes. How much energy is used in recycling depends largely on the type of material being recycled and the process used to do so. Aluminum is generally agreed to use far less energy when recycled rather than being produced from scratch. The EPA states that "recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source.

Recycling is a manufacturing process and many of the methods use more energy than they save. In addition to energy usage, recycling requires capital and labor while producing some waste. These processes need to be more efficient than production from original raw material and/or traditional garbage disposal for recycling to be the superior method.

Recycling also saves money and trees.The amount of money actually saved through recycling depends on the efficiency of the recycling program used to do it.In many cases, the cost of recyclable materials also exceeds the cost of raw materials.Virgin plastic resin costs 40% less than recycled resin.On the other hand, recycling paper does not need people to cut down trees.