Another benefit of recycling everyday objects is that it saves energy. By recycling just 12 plastic bottles, you can save the amount of energy needed to run an air conditioner for a whole hour.
The EPA has an interactive widget that illustrates the impact of recycling by translating the amount of energy saved by recycling an item into the amount of time an appliance can be powered. Give it a try here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/widgets/iwarm-skinny.html