How Can Someone Feel That The Recycling They Do Actually Contributes To A Better Earth?

Don’t be discouraged! Although your contribution is small in the whole scheme of things, the point is you and I know recycling is better than throwing things in the rubbish. Recycling saves new resources from being created, thereby reducing the strain on the planet and also avoids waste going to landfill. If you are concerned about the state of your environment perhaps write to your local government and voice your concerns and what vision you have for your neighbourhood. The politicians listen (especially in election years) so go for it! Also if you stop what you do then other people who might be passing by might not pick up on your good actions! Be an ambassador for the environment and encourage others to do the right thing, after all if everyone changed their ways it would make a big difference! Cheers!

Doing your part does help, even though it seems insignificant. Imagine throwing out your daily newspaper? That’s a ton of newspapers in the garbage over a year. Recycling them instead is a huge contribution. Keep up the good work, there are lots of us that actually do recycle and try to help conserve the environment.

Yours is an excellent question and one that many who do not work hard at recycling wonder about as well. How much are you actually helping? It cannot be measured as a total energy savings. Particularly since you now drive an additional 30 minutes in order to recycyle, using fuel, emitting greenhouse gasses, etc. And, you have to offset the amount of energy used to recycle from the energy needed to make a new product (plastic bottles, etc.).
SO, it is hard to know if you’re doing any real environmental good. You are probably not doing any damage. Much of the environmental movement is based more on emotion than fact and moral judgements about people are made based on their position on the environment. ie., you are a good person if you recycle, a bad person if you don’t……nonsense!
It gets down to this, if you want to recycle, it fits your lifestyle, is important to you, do it. Probably won’t hurt. But don’t expect to get a receipt for how much good you’re doing. And please, don’t assume you’re superior to those who aren’t as committed to it as you and do not pass judgement on those who think critically about the issue. We all want a clean planet, no matter what our religious beliefs may be.

The more that is recycled means the less new trees have to be cut for paper products, and plastics and glass, the less raw materials and petroleum have to be used than it would take to make a new milk container or coke bottle. Keep up the effort, every little bit helps.

Instead of stressing out about it on this website, why not use your energy to get recycling back to your neighborhood? Most people will not recycle unless they are literally handed a recycle bin (and some people still won’t). Work on educating your neighbors on WHY you recycle, and why they should as well. Some people just don’t get it until it is spelled out for them.

recycling of any used material can be benificial to us anly when we are using those methods which are not creating unnecessary ,harmful byproducts.