When landfills leak, hazardous solvents can contaminate groundwater that may be used for agriculture or as drinking water. Landfills and incinerators also emit pollution into the air.

Recycling reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators. Landfills and incinerators can emit hazards to the environment.

In general, recycling of materials also produces less pollution than processing raw materials.

Recycling saves energy and reduces emissions. In most cases, it takes less energy to make new products from recycled materials than from raw materials.

Recycling saves habitats, such as rain forests. By reducing the demand for new materials (such as metals that must be mined and refined) from the environment, more land and habitats can be preserved and/or conserved.

Recycling saves natural resources. Recycling  reduces the demand for new materials from the environment. For example, by recycling paper, fewer trees are needed to produce new paper.

Recycling can be as simple as reusing something, such as a coat or computer by passing it on for someone else to use. Or, it can be as involved as reprocessing materials in metals, plastics, paper, or glass to make new products.