tes ▁de grad ing ▁the ▁planet ' s ▁e colog ical ▁capital , ▁such ▁as ▁loss ▁in ▁soil ▁nut ri ent ▁production . ▁Energy ▁conservation ▁also ▁leads ▁to ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁Je von ' s ▁par ado x , ▁where ▁improvements ▁in ▁energy ▁efficiency ▁low ers ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁production ▁and ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁re bound ▁effect ▁where ▁rates ▁of ▁consumption ▁and ▁economic ▁growth ▁increases . ▁ ▁Cost s ▁ ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁money ▁actually ▁saved ▁through ▁rec y cling ▁depends ▁on ▁the ▁efficiency ▁of ▁the ▁rec y cling ▁program ▁used ▁to ▁do ▁it . ▁The ▁Institute ▁for ▁Local ▁Self - Rel iance ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁rec y cling ▁depends ▁on ▁various ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁land fill ▁fe es ▁and ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁dispos al ▁that ▁the ▁community ▁rec y cles . ▁It ▁states ▁that ▁communities ▁begin ▁to ▁save ▁money ▁when ▁they ▁treat ▁rec y cling ▁as ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁their ▁traditional ▁waste ▁system ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁add - on ▁to ▁it ▁and ▁by ▁" red es ign ing ▁their ▁collection ▁sched ules ▁and / or ▁tr uck s ". ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁rec y cl able ▁materials ▁also ▁exceed s ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁raw ▁materials . ▁Virgin ▁pl astic ▁res in ▁costs ▁ 4 0 ▁percent ▁less ▁than ▁rec yc led ▁res in . ▁Additionally , ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Environment al ▁Prote ction ▁Agency ▁( E PA ) ▁study ▁that ▁track ed ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁clear ▁glass ▁from ▁ 1 5 ▁July