Recycling saves natural resources. The earth’s resources are finite and recycling helps reduce the need for raw materials, such as trees, valuable minerals and fossil fuels.
Recycling saves energy. It takes less energy to manufacture products from recycled material. For example, one ton of recycled paper uses only 60% of the energy that is required to make one ton from raw materials.
Recycling preserves landfill space. California landfills are filling up and it is very expensive to build new ones.
Recycling creates and retains jobs. California has built a strong infrastructure to remanufacture recycled goods into new products.
In 1989, Assembly Bill 939 was enacted to reduce the amount of waste dumped into landfills by 50 percent by the year 2000. In addition, California legislature requires cities and counties to remain diligent and resourceful in their efforts to maintain a 50% recycling rate and to further waste reduction efforts for the coming decade and century.