Environmental Topics

Recycling and product stewardship can have a large effect on some key environmental issues. Here’s a few examples of how key issues are affected by our daily choices:

Air Quality

Most of the products we use on a daily basis are produced in factories, which can emit toxins into the air as a by-product. These toxins pollute the air that we breathe and can have public health impacts.

Recycling makes it easier to produce new products, resulting in less toxins emitted and healthier air quality.

Climate Change

Climate change is a “hot” topic in the news—from its role in devastating hurricanes to record temperatures. Believe it or not, the products we buy and use effect this issue.

Every process in the lifecycle of products consumes energy, which can lead to climate change. Any steps that can be taken to reduce this will benefit the environment in the long run.

Energy

Energy is crucial to producing any of the products we use on a daily basis. Making products from recycled materials significantly reduces the amount of energy needed in the process.

Energy conservation and efficiency go a long way toward preserving our planet’s rich natural resources and promoting a healthy environment.

Water

Water is essential for life and our ecosystems, but only a small fraction of the water on our surface is suitable for consumption. When this water is polluted or not conserved, the supply we have becomes that much more valuable.

Proper disposal is key to water conservation because water is easily contaminated. One gallon of improperly disposed motor oil can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.