Recycling is not only an ecological narrative, but above all real economic benefits, saving resources and reducing environmental impact.
In a special installment of the Wastes In Numbers series, we look at what the power of recycling looks like in numbers and why its role will only grow.
One of the most telling examples is the value of raw materials hidden in electrowaste. According to the United Nations, metals contained in electronic equipment that go to landfills each year have a market value of up to $91 billion.
This is a huge potential that, instead of returning to circulation, is irretrievably lost.
The problem of electro-waste is growing at a rate that current systems cannot handle. The amount of waste is growing up to five times faster than the capacity to process it.
About 62 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide each year, of which just over 22 percent is properly recycled. The rest goes into informal circulation or landfills.
Not all materials behave the same in the recycling process. Glass and aluminum belong to the group of raw materials that can be processed practically without restrictions, without loss of quality.
This makes their recovery particularly important for the circular economy.
The use of secondary materials translates directly into saving raw materials and energy. In the case of aluminum, the use of scrap instead of the primary raw material allows to reduce the consumption of iron, coal and calcium ore by up to 90 percent.
In addition, the water consumption in the production process decreases by about 40 percent. This shows the scale of the real environmental and economic benefits.
It is worth remembering that not all raw materials can be processed indefinitely. Paper loses its properties in subsequent cycles and can only be recycled a few times.
This means that, in addition to recycling, it is equally important to reduce consumption and use resources responsibly.
The first and most important step is the proper segregation of waste. It is from her that the whole process of recovery of raw materials begins. Waste that goes to the mixed fraction, for the most part, loses the chance of reuse.
It is equally important to extend the life of products. For electronic equipment, you may want to consider reusing it instead of disposing of it immediately. Efficient devices can go to schools, community organizations or be regenerated.
Urban mining, or the recovery of raw materials from existing products, is becoming one of the key directions of development and a response to the growing demand for metals and critical raw materials.
The data leaves no doubt that recycling is not a choice, but a necessity. It is a tool that allows you to reduce resource consumption, reduce emissions and build a more stable economy.
World Recycling Day is a reminder that real change begins with the everyday decisions we make as consumers and as businesses.
2/4/26
The next meeting of the Battery Committee of the PSNM — We drive new mobility, chaired by Filip Gabryelewicz on behalf of the Wastes Service Group, is behind us.
