recycling

 

When most of us think about reducing our carbon footprint these days, we think about things like driving less, using less electricity,purchasing green power, or planting trees. We are aware of recycling as something that is good for the planet, but many do not make the connection between recycling and climate change.

In fact, it takes much less energy to make a product from recycled materials rather than freshly chopped trees or newly mined metal ores. According to the state of Minnesota’s environmental website doitgreen.org, “Production of recycled paper uses 65 percent less energy than paper production using raw materials.”

Less energy usage means less carbon dioxide pollution, and that means less climate change. Energy conservation and energy efficiency, together with renewable energy, are some of the best things we can work on to improve our energy future.