Recycling

We should recycle metals because extracting them uses up limited __________ and is expensive in terms of __________ and effects on the __________.

There is only so many copper atoms on the planet, and even fewer in a form that it is economical to extract. It is much better to reuse those than to have to find and dig up new deposits.

Recycling one aluminium drinks can saves enough energy to run a television for 3 hours. This is because it uses far less energy to melt down and recast an aluminium can than it does to extract the aluminium from its ore.

If we don't recycle then the metals tend to end up in land fill sites which themselves are running out of space.

For recycling Against recycling
  • metal reserves are __________ (last longer).
  • energy that would have been used for extraction is __________.
  • less __________ from the extraction process
    eg acid rain for copper.
  • less mining and the associated problems.
  • less waste metal dumped in __________
  • collection problems
  • transport problems
  • difficult to __________ some metals from appliances
  • energy used to melt the collected metal (less than extraction though)

As reserves of metal ores start running out, the problems over recycling will seem less and less important.