As population growth continues to accelerate into the 21st Century, waste management will play an integral part in maintaining an ecological balance within our environment. We can no longer generate unlimited quantities of waste, and must sacrifice our economic viability to ensure long term protection of the earth. Therefore, recycling plays an important strategy in minimizing the generation of waste and reducing the need of hazardous landfills. It is expected that certain problems will arise with recycling initiatives but the positive factors from our efforts will override those obstacles. With high levels of public participation, sufficient financial backing and increase technological sophistication, recycling can be an effective strategy for sustaining a healthy environment.

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             General Purpose .

             There are numerous environmental benefits that come with recycling. When products are made with recycled materials instead of virgin materials, we conserve land and reduce the need for more resources such as oil, minerals, and pulp. By avoiding initial production cost, recyclables also save energy in our environment. Landfill spaces will also be conserved if products are recycled rather than going into dumps or incinerators. By cutting down on landfills, we are protecting the environment from being contaminated. The use of less landfills and incinerators leads to decrease in air and water pollution, which will eventually affect acid rain and global warming. Furthermore, recycling, when implemented sufficiently will deter littering and essentially waste management cost. While recycling may not solve all the environmental problems relating to waste management, it is the purpose of this paper to outline the greater overall benefits associated with such programs.

             Conservation of Raw Materials.

             Reducing material flow by recycling will limit the use of raw materials such as trees, oil and minerals.