Yes. Garbage can sometimes blow out, or in some other way, leave the garbage dump. If it gets into an animal's habitat, the animal might eat it, and it may be toxic for that animal. Recycling will reduce the amount of garbage, so in general, there will be less garbage escaping the dump.
Yes, it keeps less things in the dump, which always encroaches on animal habitats. It keeps those plastic bottles and rings away from the animals, you've seen the ads showing those sad scenes.