Plastic waste is one of today’s biggest environmental challenges. Every year, around 500 billion plastic bottles are consumed worldwide, with a significant number ending up in nature instead of being recycled. It is estimated that as much as eight million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually, leading to an alarming forecast – by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the seas, measured by weight.
This is why society must recognize the importance of recycling and the circular economy in reducing waste and preserving valuable resources. Recycling saves energy that would otherwise be spent on extracting and processing raw materials, thereby contributing to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
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How Important is Recycling?
Some materials decompose extremely slowly or almost never. For example, it takes about 500 years for an aluminum can to decompose, but recycling saves up to 90-95 percent of the energy compared to producing aluminum from primary raw materials. PET plastic takes around 100 years to break down, with the most significant problem arising when it ends up in rivers, lakes, and seas. Glass does not decompose in nature. Still, it is fully recyclable and can be reused indefinitely.
It is essential to understand that packaging waste is not useless—it is a valuable resource that can be returned to the system and reused. Instead of ending up in landfills or, even worse, in nature, packaging waste can be recycled and used to produce new products. This reduces the need to exploit natural resources, contributing to environmental protection and the conservation of raw materials for future generations.
Recycling packaging waste also brings significant economic benefits. Materials such as plastic, glass, and aluminum can be reprocessed and used in manufacturing, reducing production costs and energy consumption. The recycling industry also creates new jobs and stimulates the development of a sustainable economy.
TOMRA Collection Serbia and Montenegro
The story was published in the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY
