True or False: Recycling waste is important because it uses less energy and fewer raw materials.
Recycling is a really important part of modern life, and its benefits are pretty straightforward. Think about it this way: when we make something new from raw materials, like digging up metal ore or cutting down trees, that takes a lot of energy. We have to mine the materials, process them, and then transport them to factories. Recycling, on the other hand, takes materials we've already used – like plastic bottles, paper, or aluminum cans – and turns them back into something new. This process uses significantly less energy because we're skipping all those initial steps of extraction and processing. For example, recycling aluminum cans uses about 95% less energy than making new ones from raw materials! Plus, recycling reduces the need to extract those raw materials in the first place, which helps protect natural resources and habitats. So, the statement is true because recycling directly conserves both energy and raw materials, making it a more sustainable practice.
Recycling is like giving materials a second life, saving energy and resources in the process.