The Benefits of Recycling Your Old Items During a Renovation Project

If you're planning on doing a bit of renovating in your home, congratulations! Not only will you get to enjoy a refreshed space, but you'll also get to take part in one of the most satisfying aspects of home ownership: giving your home a makeover. But before you start tearing down walls or gutting your kitchen, there are a few things you should consider—namely, what to do with all the waste that will be generated during your project. Fortunately, recycling can help! Here's a look at some of the benefits of recycling during your renovation project.

Reduce landfill waste: One of the most obvious benefits of recycling is that it helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, construction and demolition debris make up about 30% of the waste stream in the United States—but much of this material can be recycled. So, before you throw away those old cabinets or that pile of drywall, see if there's a local recycling center that can take them off your hands.

Preserve natural resources: Once something has been thrown away, it's gone forever—but recycling gives new life to materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill. This not only helps reduce landfill waste (as we just discussed), but it also helps preserve our natural resources. For example, every ton of paper that's recycled saves 17 trees!

Save money: Believe it or not, recycling can actually save you money. How? Well, for starters, it costs less to recycle materials than it does to dispose of them in a landfill. What's more, many recycled materials can be sold—so you might even make some money in the process! For example, metals such as aluminum and copper are always in high demand, so if you have any old pipes or wires lying around, recycling them could put a few extra dollars in your pocket.

As you can see, there are many benefits to recycling during your renovation project—so there's no excuse not to do it! Not only will recycling help reduce landfill waste and preserve natural resources, but it might even save you some money in the process. So next time you're getting ready to start a renovation project, keep these benefits in mind and be sure to recycle as much as possible!